At least 200 megahertz (MHz) of bandwidth are to be released for the first stage of 5G development, the National Communications Commission said on Wednesday, adding that it would soon submit an application to the Executive Yuan for final approval.
The commission has designated a minimum of 200MHz at the medium frequency range near 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) to auction for development of the network, spokesperson Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said.
Bandwidth in the high frequency range (26GHz to 29GHz) could also be used to build the network, Wong said.
Communication technology in the medium frequency range has been developed early in most countries, which is why the range is being used for so many purposes, Wong said.
In Taiwan, the 3.5GHz band is used by the telecom satellite ST-2 (中新二號), which is owned by Singapore Telecommunications and Chunghwa Telecom, Wong said, adding that many television channels also use the satellite to transmit broadcast signals.
The satellite would also be used for emergency communication if a natural disaster destroys telecom networks, he said.
Chunghwa Telecom would only be asked to leave the band between 3.5Ghz and 3.6GHz open and would not have to use a different band, Wong said.
The Executive Yuan asked the commission to thoroughly prepare for the frequency auction, including investigating how large the guard band and the geographical distance should be if 5G base stations and the satellite’s ground stations were to coexist, he said.
The commission was also entrusted with the task of assessing the amount of bandwidth that can be auctioned.
The Budget Act (預算法) stipulates that the frequency must be distributed through a public tender process, Wong said, adding that the commission would not grant frequencies to telecoms through qualification reviews, nor would it assign them frequencies.
Frequency auctions ensure that bandwidth is used efficiently and the telecom industry develops properly, he said, adding that the funds raised are secondary.
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