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NCC aims for broadband in unconnected villages

Although Internet users nationwide mostly connect to the Internet at broadband speeds of 8 megabits per second, 18 remote villages still lack even the most basic dial-up connection.

The National Communications Commission (NCC) has ruled that these villages must be provided with broadband access of at least 2 megabits per second before the end of the year, calling on telecom companies to submit applications for the project.

There are 7,810 villages and boroughs in Taiwan. The NCC considers all communities with at least one ADSL connection as having access to broadband.

The 18 villages without access are distributed in Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung and Taitung counties. In addition to these, another 28 villages have access to broadband by connecting to facilities in neighboring areas.

Since these areas still only connect at 512kilobits per second, they are also set to receive improved broadband infrastructure.

Lin Tung-tai (林東泰) and Hsieh Chin-nan (謝進男), the NCC commissioners in charge of monitoring the project, completed a tour of the 18 villages last week.

Most of the villages are located in Aboriginal areas, the commissioners said.

Hsieh said that local residents had high hopes for the project and felt broadband connections would help them promote agricultural products and handicrafts, and that the resulting business would motivate young people who have moved away to return to their home villages.

Hsieh said Chunghwa Telecom (中華電信), Taiwan Fixed Network (台灣固網) and a cable TV operator had submitted applications, adding that the NCC should announce its decision next month.

The NCC plans to allocate approximately NT$70 million from a fund for improving telecommunications services to the winning company to subsidize the project benefiting 46 villages.

Once the project is completed and broadband services are available in every community nationwide, Taiwan will have achieved a first in Asia, he said.
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