Slow approval from telecom authorities and local governments may dash the state-run Chunghwa Telecom Co's (中華電信) hopes of tapping into the digital broadcast market by providing multimedia-on-demand (MOD) services by the end of this year, sources told the Taipei Times yesterday.
The MOD service allows consumers to watch digital-content programs and conduct online shopping any time using a remote control.
With the largest number of ADSL subscribers, Chunghwa hopes to use MOD services for a bigger share of the promising digital TV market.
But a company official revealed that Chunghwa has not yet obtained a license from the Government Information Office or the Directorate General of Telecommunications to operate a digital TV broadcast.
"We can't be sure about the timetable as the licensing problem gets in the way. Besides, we still need approval from local governments to charge for the basic services of digital TV programs," the source said.
What the official said contrasted with remarks Chunghwa chairman Hochen Tan (
"We expect to provide service to northern Taiwanese households as early as December," Hochen said at that time.
The pricing issue is also a handicap for Chunghwa and other local cable TV operators which provide digital TV programs to expand their customer base.
China Network Systems Co (
"It's difficult for us to set a target for customer growth. It's frustrating that local governments are slow at giving the nod to our charging practices," said Daniel Cheung (
As the company cannot agree on the price-cap set up by Taipei City Government on the price of set-top boxes, NT$3,000 per unit, China Network said it still received no approval from the city government to start operation in the capital.
"It's too low for us to cover our costs," Cheung said.
China Network currently serves around 4,000 residents in the Keelung and Taoyuan areas. The company said northern Taiwan will be the priority for it to provide such new services in the future.
Without licensing problems and pricing restrictions, Pure Technology Co (
Pure, owned by digital set-top box maker Puretek Industrial Co (
"We want to create business opportunities, as we see this year and next year will be an important turning point for the nation to develop digital TV business," said Pure president Wesley Wang (
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