Taiwan Fixed Network (TFN), a subsidiary of Taiwan Mobile Co, was fined NT$900,000 (US$31,160) for illegally expanding its communications network and using the expanded network, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday.
Commission spokesperson Chen Jeng-chang (陳正倉) said the company did not file an application with the NCC before expanding its communications network. The company was penalized based on Article 32-1 of the Regulations on the Administration of Fixed Network Telecommunications Businesses (固定通信業務管理規則), which states that operators should apply to the telecommunications authority for approval to add to or alter their communications network.
Chen said the company was also ordered to improve the situation by Sept. 30, including suspending the use of the illegally expanded network.
According to the commission, the company had been fined NT$300,000 in May last year for failing to file an application before adding new equipment to its communications network. In March this year, the commission found that it had begun using the illegally added equipment.
While TFN eventually filed an application for the equipment, the commission found in May this year that the company used new equipment that was not listed in the application it had filed.
Chen cited a statement issued by Taiwan Mobile Co yesterday saying that TFN’s board of directors had approved a NT$770 million purchase of communications equipment from Nokia Siemens Networks to replace equipment previously purchased from China, which was deemed by the government to pose national security concerns.
Chen added that TFN was penalized for violating the regulations in installing new communications equipment without securing government approval in advance, adding that the penalty had nothing to do with the company’s purchase of Chinese communications equipment.
Chen said the government agencies in charge of national security should determine if any communications devices pose security problems.
However, Chen said earlier this month that companies importing core network equipment from China were unlikely to receive government approval out of national security concerns.
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