While Taiwan’s retail, food and beverage, hypermarket and other traditional industries are rejoicing over the business the government’s consumer voucher scheme will bring, the digital media industry is in dire straits.
Media reports say that First International Telecom may have to give up its WiMAX — Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access — plans because of a shortage of funds. Although still working hard, the economic recession means its prospects do not look too promising. Not long ago, Taiwan Mobile Co also announced it would give up plans to use Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB). Are these two isolated incidents or are they somehow related?
WiMAX is a convenient wireless transmission technology capable of increasing the distance of wireless microwave transmissions by several kilometers. DAB is capable of CD quality sound transmission without interference. It can also simultaneously transmit video and other forms of data and be integrated with the Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
The development possibilities of WiMAX and DAB are extensive, but the tough economic times mean businesses must make cuts. This is a loss for WiMAX and DAB providers, and will have a detrimental effect on the development of Taiwan’s digital media industry. Only time will tell how other Taiwanese WiMAX providers such as Tatung InfoComm will continue to promote their services. It is also worthwhile to keep an eye on WiMAX to see if it will follow in the footsteps of DAB.
The development of DAB in Taiwan passed through three stages: planning, preparation and a final stage characterized by setbacks. It now looks like it may disappear altogether.
In 200l, the government planned 10 groups of radio stations, including most of Taiwan’s most renowned radio stations, to take part in a DAB trial. It was a big project and participants were full of hope.
At the preparatory stage in 2004, the first round of applications for digital broadcasting licenses opened. After the application review in 2005, six companies obtained trial licenses but only one, Tai Yi Digital Broadcasting, went ahead with trial broadcasts. A joint venture established between Taiwan Mobile — which owned 49.7 percent of the shares — E-Ten Information Systems Co, Hit FM and IC FM 97.5, it was the only operator led by telecommunications companies.
After two years of trials, DAB experienced problems, partly because of a lack of promotion, inadequate public knowledge of the technology and high-priced DAB radios that few were willing to purchase. As a result there were too few consumers to keep DAB up and running. In July this year, Taiwan Mobile announced that Tai Yi would be dissolved, and the outlook for other DAB providers is not very bright.
The biggest problem for Taiwan’s DAB industry was a lack of forward-looking policies. Many reports show that lack of promotion is the biggest problem with digital technology in Taiwan.
In a survey on radio broadcasting conducted by the Government Information Office in 2006, 57 percent of businesses agreed and 34 percent strongly agreed that the government lacked effective policies, while 55 percent agreed and 34 percent strongly agreed that the government lacked supporting measures.
Of course, the situations faced by WiMAX and DAB differ quite a bit and the two cannot be lumped together. However, based on the government’s lack of forward-looking policies and supporting measures for the development of DAB, it is difficult not to worry about the future of WiMAX, DTV and other facets of Taiwan’s digital media industry.
Weber Lai is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Applied Media Arts at National Taiwan University of Arts.
TRANSLATED BY DREW CAMERON
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) challenges and ignores the international rules-based order by violating Taiwanese airspace using a high-flying drone: This incident is a multi-layered challenge, including a lawfare challenge against the First Island Chain, the US, and the world. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) defines lawfare as “controlling the enemy through the law or using the law to constrain the enemy.” Chen Yu-cheng (陳育正), an associate professor at the Graduate Institute of China Military Affairs Studies, at Taiwan’s Fu Hsing Kang College (National Defense University), argues the PLA uses lawfare to create a precedent and a new de facto legal
In the first year of his second term, US President Donald Trump continued to shake the foundations of the liberal international order to realize his “America first” policy. However, amid an atmosphere of uncertainty and unpredictability, the Trump administration brought some clarity to its policy toward Taiwan. As expected, bilateral trade emerged as a major priority for the new Trump administration. To secure a favorable trade deal with Taiwan, it adopted a two-pronged strategy: First, Trump accused Taiwan of “stealing” chip business from the US, indicating that if Taipei did not address Washington’s concerns in this strategic sector, it could revisit its Taiwan
Chile has elected a new government that has the opportunity to take a fresh look at some key aspects of foreign economic policy, mainly a greater focus on Asia, including Taiwan. Still, in the great scheme of things, Chile is a small nation in Latin America, compared with giants such as Brazil and Mexico, or other major markets such as Colombia and Argentina. So why should Taiwan pay much attention to the new administration? Because the victory of Chilean president-elect Jose Antonio Kast, a right-of-center politician, can be seen as confirming that the continent is undergoing one of its periodic political shifts,
Taiwan’s long-term care system has fallen into a structural paradox. Staffing shortages have led to a situation in which almost 20 percent of the about 110,000 beds in the care system are vacant, but new patient admissions remain closed. Although the government’s “Long-term Care 3.0” program has increased subsidies and sought to integrate medical and elderly care systems, strict staff-to-patient ratios, a narrow labor pipeline and rising inflation-driven costs have left many small to medium-sized care centers struggling. With nearly 20,000 beds forced to remain empty as a consequence, the issue is not isolated management failures, but a far more
RSS