The explanations provided by Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) for its decision not to renew the contract of Falun Gong-sponsored New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) contradict information uncovered by the Taipei Times and raise questions about possible pressure from the Chinese or Taiwanese authorities.
Since 1998, CHT has relied on the ST-1 satellite to transmit TV signals to Taiwanese subscribers. With the satellite scheduled to cease operations in August, on Sept. 18, 2008, Chunghwa Telecom Singapore, a fully owned subsidiary of CHT, formed a joint venture with Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel) to build a new satellite, the ST-2. Information released by CHT showed that its subsidiary would take about a 38 percent stake in the joint venture, with SingTel taking the remaining 62 percent. CHT and SingTel also jointly operate ST-1.
In a press release dated April 5, SingTel announced that the assembly, integration and testing of ST-2 had been completed and that the satellite was being shipped to its launching site, where it is to be launched in the middle of this month.
Responding to criticism over the decision not to renew NTDTV’s contract, meaning its broadcasts will cease in August, CHT said the ST-2 had fewer transponders and therefore had lower bandwidth to ensure a quality service.
Industry sources said ST-1 carries 16 high-power Ku-band transponders and 14 medium-power C-band transponders.
However, CHT’s explanation contradicts what its partner said on April 5.
Bill Chang, executive vice president of the business group at SingTel, said at the time: “With 20 percent more transponder capacity and a wider coverage footprint than ST-1, ST-2 will help increase our capacity to meet growing customer demand for fixed and mobile satellite services in the broadcast, maritime and oil and gas industries.”
A Singaporean source confirmed to the Taipei Times yesterday that while ST-2 has more transponders, CHT’s share in the satellite has shrunk, meaning it may have been allocated less bandwidth than on ST-1.
Although this could explain why CHT will be unable to assign as many stations as it did before, it does not explain the decision to specifically select NTDTV to be dropped.
One possible explanation could be the stronger signal offered by ST-2. Both CHT and SingTel have said ST-2 will have higher transmitting power than ST-1. The wide-ranging footprint of C-band and Ku-band coverage will cover the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
“ST-2 is almost twice as powerful as our first satellite, which means our customers’ antennas don’t have to work as hard to pick up the signals,” Chang said.
Those comments may have caught Beijing’s attention.
Beijing considers Falun Gong a cult and has made it an illegal entity in China. It has successfully blocked — and sometimes intimidated other countries into doing so — broadcasts from NTDTV.
Although satellites like ST-1 and ST-2 do not service the Chinese market, a technique known as “signal hacking” reportedly allows direct access to channels and programs on any satellite that services the Asia-Pacific region.
In October 2009, Taiwanese lawmakers called for an investigation into ST-1 signal interruptions that began on Sept. 17 and peaked on Oct. 1, when the People’s Republic of China was celebrating its 60th anniversary. On Double Ten Day, NTDTV’s broadcasts were effectively taken off the air for the entire day.
ST-1’s low-band frequency covers all of Taiwan and 80 percent of China. The higher transmitting power of ST-2 could ostensibly make it more difficult for China to jam its signals, as it did in the lead-up to the 60th anniversary celebrations.
Although the Taipei Times could not confirm this information, Beijing may have pressured CHT or SingTel not to renew NTDTV’s contract.
Earlier this week, CHT denied there was any political reason behind its decision.
The incident occurs at a time when CHT is seeking to expand its operations in China. On March 28, the company announced the establishment of a wholly owned subsidiary, Chunghwa Telecom (China), in Shanghai, to promote its information and communications technology. This includes CHT’s intelligent energy-saving solutions iEN, which will be initially promoted in Fujian Province through cooperation with a provincial branch of state-owned China Mobile. CHT has also made a number of investments and joint ventures in China and is in negotiations with state-owned China Telecom Corp to enter the Chinese market.
ST-2 departed Kamakura, Japan, at the end of March and arrived in French Guiana on an Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft on April 5, Mitsubishi Electric Corp of Japan, the manufacturer of the satellite, said in a press release on April 6.
Industry watchers said ST-2 is to be launched at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou on an Ariane 5 orbital launch vehicle.
The satellite, which has an expected 15-year lifespan, will be in orbit at 88 degrees east longitude, Mitsubishi Electric said.
Contacted for further comment, Mitsubishi Electric said it could not provide specific details about ST-2, stating a non-disclosure agreement with its customer.
According to the CHT Web site, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications owns 35.41 percent of its shares.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS