Chunghwa launches multimedia-on-demand services

Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信) yesterday launched the nationwide broadcast of its so-called multimedia-on-demand (MOD) services covering 13 cities and counties, highlighting the various entertainment functions integrated in one set-top box.

MOD refers to the firm's television service delivered over its high-speed Internet links, with set-top boxes installed to change analog signals into digital ones. To make it easily recognizable, Chunghwa also formally renamed its MOD services to "Big TV," hoping to boost the competitiveness of the advanced technology.

The company began offering the service to Taipei City and Taipei County households in March last year but only secured just over 50,000 users because of a limited supply of set-top boxes.

With a large batch of 400,000 boxes to be delivered by the end of this month, the company expects to boost the number of MOD users to 200,000 by the year-end thanks to expanding coverage, preferential rates offered and its effort to introduce more TV channels, company vice-president Chang Feng-hsiung (張豐雄) said.

However, as the Government Information Office (GIO) recently demanded that Chunghwa abide by regulations according to which government players withdraw from the media, the company is facing an uncertain future in delivering MOD services.

In response, company chairman Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) said the company will continue to negotiate with the GIO and does not rule out the possibility of pushing for amendments to the law to open up cross-industry operations between telecommunications and cable TV.

Chang said that the company has obtained the required operational license issued by the GIO, which should not now turn around and demand that Chunghwa stop its MOD operations after the company invested billions of NT dollars in delivering the service.