The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday passed a draft act that it said would encourage the corporate sector to invest in and adopt innovative use of 5G networks.
The draft establishment and management of telecommunications networks for mobile broadband act is to be forwarded to the Executive Yuan for final review and ratification.
The draft act includes measures for corporations to apply for network eligibility, network installation, channel management and frequency usage certificates, NCC Deputy Chairman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said.
It is in line with the Executive Yuan’s policy of allowing 5G vertical applications on the designated 4.8 to 4.9 gigahertz frequencies, also known as the n79 band, Wong said.
Telecoms and other businesses are eligible to apply for a standalone network on the 5G network spectrum, the commission said.
The commission said it is issuing a 10-year frequency license to all approved applicants based on the overhead costs of setting up unique 5G networks, core network components and spectrum licensing costs.
To date, there have been 42 proof of concept cases for 5G networks in Taiwan, with 28 of them falling in the n79 band, and 14 outside, the commission said.
Networks established in the n79 band are mostly for the applied use of smart medicine or used in the smart industry or smart entertainment sectors, it said.
The benefit of sectors such as smart medicine having standalone networks is that people in more rural areas would also have access to smart medicine, which would cut down on travel time for patients, potentially saving lives.
Applicants would shoulder the basic administrative fees, a sum for the right to use the standalone network, which would be calculated on a per megahertz rate, the type of facility the network is used for, the size of the facility, what the network is to be used for and a yearly premium adjustment, the commission said.
In short, fees would differ from user to user, based on the number of base stations or their equipment on the terminal end, it said.
The commission said the draft act is being previewed for the requisite 60 days, during which time it would be holding public hearings to promote public awareness of the draft act and soliciting public opinions.
It said it is laying the legal groundwork for 5G network affairs and would be transferring relevant information to the ministry of digital development when it is established and operational.
POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT: Japan and the US are expected to hold in-depth discussions on Taiwan-related issues during the meeting next month, Japanese sources said The holding of a Japan-US leaders’ meeting ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China is positive news for Taiwan, former Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association representative Hiroyasu Izumi said yesterday. After the Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide victory in Japan’s House of Representatives election, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to visit the US next month, where she is to meet with Trump ahead of the US president’s planned visit to China from March 31 to April 2 for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Japan and the US are expected to hold in-depth discussions on Taiwan-related issues during the
‘LIKE-MINDED PARTNER’: Tako van Popta said it would be inappropriate to delay signing the deal with Taiwan because of China, adding he would promote the issue Canadian senators have stressed Taiwan’s importance for international trade and expressed enthusiasm for ensuring the Taiwan-Canada trade cooperation framework agreement is implemented this year. Representative to Canada Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) in an interview with the Central News Agency (CNA) said he was increasingly uneasy about Ottawa’s delays in signing the agreement, especially as Ottawa has warmed toward Beijing. There are “no negotiations left. Not only [is it] initialed, we have three versions of the text ready: English, French and Mandarin,” Tseng said. “That tells you how close we are to the final signature.” Tseng said that he hoped Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
Taiwan has received more than US$70 million in royalties as of the end of last year from developing the F-16V jet as countries worldwide purchase or upgrade to this popular model, government and military officials said on Saturday. Taiwan funded the development of the F-16V jet and ended up the sole investor as other countries withdrew from the program. Now the F-16V is increasingly popular and countries must pay Taiwan a percentage in royalties when they purchase new F-16V aircraft or upgrade older F-16 models. The next five years are expected to be the peak for these royalties, with Taiwan potentially earning
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday bestowed one of Taiwan’s highest honors on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Ambassador Andrea Clare Bowman in recognition of her contributions to bilateral ties. “By conferring the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon on Ambassador Bowman today, I want to sincerely thank her, on behalf of the Taiwanese people, for her outstanding contribution to deepening diplomatic ties between Taiwan and SVG,” Lai said at a ceremony held at the Presidential Office in Taipei. He noted that Bowman became SVG’s first ambassador to Taiwan in 2019 and