The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that Aerkomm Inc needs to register as a telecom service provider if it wants to provide a low-Earth-orbit satellite service in Taiwan, as well as comply with national laws on applying for a frequency spectrum and managing foreign investors.
The Nevada-based company, which recently announced that it had chosen Taiwan as a research and development and service base in the Asia-Pacific region, filed an application to offer a low-Earth-orbit satellite service in Taiwan — which some call a “6G service.”
The service would transmit data faster than 5G service and greatly facilitate communication for residents of remote areas and frequent air travelers, the company said, adding that the travelers would not need international roaming services when overseas.
While confirming that the commission had received Aerkomm’s application, NCC Vice Chairman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said that the firm should first register as a telecom service provider, as required by the Telecommunication Management Act (電信管理法), which took effect on July 1.
“So far, its business plan is vague, and we are not sure if it needs to secure a landing right for its service here. But if it does, we need to review several factors, including the percentage of its shares owned by foreign investors and whether the frequency spectrum that the company intends to use to build its service network is being used by others or might cause interference on surrounding networks,” Wong said.
The company would have to build satellite ground stations so that the commission could ensure that network operations were not exploited by criminals, and apply to use a frequency spectrum and explain how they would use it to construct their satellite service network,” he said.
A more detailed business plan should be presented to the commissioners, Wong said, adding that the NCC would consider how the service is used in other countries.
“Satellite communications is more common in countries with large territories, where there remain many remote townships not covered by telecom service networks, but in Taiwan, the 4G service coverage rate has reached 95 percent,” he said, adding that the company’s initial plan is to facilitate communication for fisheries.
Wong reiterated that the company needs to comply with national laws regarding securing a frequency spectrum and the management of foreign investors.
The commission would consider whether the company’s use of the frequency spectrum concurs with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ spectrum distribution plan, Wong said.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
1.4nm WAFERS: While TSMC is gearing up to expand its overseas production, it would also continue to invest in Taiwan, company chairman and CEO C.C. Wei said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) has applied for permission to construct a new plant in the Central Taiwan Science Park (中部科學園區), which it would use for the production of new high-speed wafers, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council, which supervises three major science parks in Taiwan, confirmed that the Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau had received an application on Friday from TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, to commence work on the new A14 fab. A14 technology, a 1.4 nanometer (nm) process, is designed to drive artificial intelligence transformation by enabling faster computing and greater power
RSS