The National Communications Commission (NCC) is to measure the transmission speeds of 5G services in the first quarter of next year, it said on Thursday, adding that the results would be published in 2023.
The commission has yet to test the speed of 5G services offered by Taiwan’s five major telecoms since the services were launched last year.
Commission Chief Secretary Chen Chung-shu (陳崇樹) said that the agency is still finalizing its methodology to measure speeds, as well as the way it would present the results.
“Most 5G services around the world use a non-standalone model, meaning that part of the service would still be offered through 4G cell stations,” Chen said. “Through a strategic partnership agreement, Asia-Pacific Telecom uses the 5G spectrum and network owned and built by Far EasTone Telecommunications. Under these situations, we have to figure out proper ways to present the results of a speed test.”
Results of the annual mobile telecommunications speed tests are an important guide for people when choosing data providers.
Telecoms use the results to highlight their advantages.
In other news, telecoms would soon obtain incentive subsidies from the government to accelerate installation of 5G cell stations after the commission finishes inspections next month.
The Executive Yuan has allocated NT$9.9 billion to NT$15.4 billion (US$357.53 million to US$556.16 million) this year and NT$5.5 billion next year to reward 5G operators who build more cell stations than they had pledged in their business plan.
In March, the commission promulgated rules governing the distribution of subsidies.
“In August, we distributed about NT$2.9 billion of this year’s budget after we reviewed firms’ cell station construction plans,” NCC Vice Chairman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said.
“We are to verify whether they have achieved what they promised, with the survey to be completed by the end of next month,” Wong said, adding that telecoms could receive full subsidies for this year in second half of November.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
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