Internet interrupted
With your article on Chunghwa Telecom’s plans to boost spending on infrastructure and raise Internet speeds (“Chunghwa to increase spending,” Nov. 2, page 12), I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry.
When I switched to their “Fiber to Building” service last year, my Internet connection speed more than doubled. But two months ago Chunghwa Telecom starting choking my Internet speed, perhaps because I use it at maximum constantly. But that’s exactly why I pay for higher speeds.
Local Hinet techies were polite and gave me transparently ludicrous explanations, but independent tests show my bandwidth is being throttled by external “packet queuing” and only Chunghwa Telecom could be the source.
Is net neutrality violation legal in Taiwan? Is it time for a public debate, especially since there is one monopoly provider here, Chunghwa, with all other services being mere resellers?
How many other of your readers are experiencing the same thing?
JOHN HANNA
Taoyuan City
Obama’s challenge
The news that US President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize has become a topic of continuous debate. When the news hit the press, some people questioned whether Obama deserved the prize.
In view of the fact that Obama has been traveling globally to promote peace and international cooperation, there should be no doubt that he will eventually fulfill the “dream” that the Nobel Peace Prize committee expects of him.
After rereading the Taipei Times report on his award (“Obama wins peace prize to mixed reviews,” Oct. 10, page 1), I realize that the reason why Obama won the prize was “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international peace campaign and cooperation between peoples.”
This effort was manifested in Obama’s inauguration speech. Other speeches have also made the point. A quote from his speech at Cairo University on June 4: “To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.” This shows Obama hopes to find a peaceful way of creating a win-win situation globally.
Obama has been working to achieve global peace and nuclear nonproliferation. The Nobel committee obviously hopes that he can accomplish these goals. This global vision is compatible with the guidelines of the Nobel Peace Prize. Winning the prize is only the beginning for Obama. He has a long way to go and many problems to solve. We can look forward to the day that Obama fulfills what he has promised.
Obama should take the prize as an encouragement to commit himself further to the promotion of global peace. He will have to prove the fact that the American people selected a working president they are proud of.
STEVEN CHANG
Sanchong City, Taipei County
Quibbling over beef
The general fear concerning beef imported from the US seems to be bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or “mad cow disease.” The director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in Taipei said there have not been any cases of BSE recorded among US cattle since 1997, in a cattle population nearly 10 million strong. So, it is pretty safe to say we shouldn’t be overly worried about BSE in US beef.
What we should absolutely be concerned about is the level of growth hormones given to cattle, which leaves hormone residue in meat from hormone-treated cattle up to 20-fold higher than in hormone-free meat. These dangerously high levels of hormones greatly increase the risk of cancer. It is well documented that women in the US have about a five-fold greater risk of breast cancer than women from countries where hormone-free meat is consumed.
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