Industry leaders yesterday urged the government to deregulate the cable television market, saying too much interference will delay the implementation of new technology.
In addition, sectors related to digital-cable TV services -- cable TV operators, digital content providers as well as flat-screen TV makers -- may miss chances worth hundreds of billions of dollars if the nation doesn't catch up to the global trend, they said.
"Compared with computer or mobile-phone industries, the digital TV sector is immature and just about to take off," said Barry Lam (
manufacturer, which also produces flat-screen TVs.
"Therefore companies moving at the front are expected to make a windfall from it," Lam said at a forum in Taipei yesterday sponsored by the Chinese Digital Content
Association.
Other speakers at the forum were China Network Systems Co (中嘉網路) chairman Nelson Chang (
The estimated worldwide market of digital TVs is over 150 million units annually, or nearly 50 percent more than the global annual demand for computers, Lam said.
Both Lam and Chang blamed government interference for delaying the market's development.
"We finished most network and equipment construction projects about one year ago, but we still can't sell our services because of regulations," Chang said.
The development of digital-TV service has been delayed for a year due to unreasonable policies, Chang said.
In late June, Taipei's Bureau of Information imposed a cap on charges for the digital-TV services that are expected to become available later this year.
The move was made several months after the Government Information Office set a NT$6,000 limit on the price of the set-top descrambler boxes needed to
decode the dozens of new digital channels.
Several lawmakers as well as consumer groups believe the set-top box should be free.
Chang emphasized that the industry won't be profiting from set-top boxes, because the NT$6,000 charge would merely cover their costs.
"Maybe we should let the market decide how much the price should be," he said.
Meanwhile, Wen said the development of the local digital-TV sector can also benefit the nation's digital content industry.
"Digital TV will offer a platform allowing content providers to deliver a variety of services," Wen said.
Production value of local digital content products exceeded NT$150 billion last year and the figure is expected to jump to NT$370 billion by 2006.
If the government wants to reach its goal of digital-TV services in 80 percent of the nation's households by 2006, "deregulation is a must," Wen said.
In response, one legislator said lawmakers plan to make some efforts on the issue.
"Most people don't want to pay for the set-top box because they don't regard it as a high-tech product; they see it just like a water meter," said PFP Legislator Pang Chien-kuo (龐建國).
Establishing a new image for cable TV services is needed, he added.
Pang said several legislators are considering a proposal to change the authority overseeing the cable TV industry from the Government Information Office to the National Communications Committee.
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