The government would spend NT$6 billion (US$196.6 million) on a five-year project to boost the development of intelligent transportation systems in the 5G era, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.
Lin made the announcement at the International Green and Smart Mobility Forum in Taipei, hosted by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy together with the Telecommunication and Communication Foundation.
The government would hold an auction for 5G licenses at the end of this year, and next year would be the first year of 5G service in the nation, Lin said.
Unlike 4G technology, 5G allows ultra-high-speed data transmission, ultra-reliable low-latency communications and massive machine type communications, he said, adding that the transmission latency could be reduced from 100 milliseconds in 4G to within 10 milliseconds in 5G.
The technology would help enhance transportation safety and allow people to move in a smart way, Lin said.
In light of the opportunities that would emerge in the 5G era, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications would inject funds into a five-year smart transportation project that is to start in 2021, he added.
“The government previously invested NT$3 billion in a four-year smart transportation project, which is to end next year. It has generated significant results, such as progress in the development of smart dashboard and Internet of Vehicles [IoV] systems, which was showcased in Singapore’s ITS World Congress last week,” Lin said. “Now we will budget about NT$6 billion for a new five-year project to demonstrate that we have greater ambition in the area of smart transportation.”
The IoV system, which the ministry is developing through partnerships with three Taiwanese universities, has been proven effective in multiple experiments involving about 10,000 motorcycles, showing that it can enhance transportation safety by reducing traffic accidents by 30 percent, Lin said.
The government should have a policy governing the use of the frequency spectrum, similar to those governing land use, he said.
The ministry should play the role of a mediator for issues related to the frequency spectrum to give developers a blueprint for the future, Lin said, adding that developers can decide whether they will participate in the frequency spectrum auction.
The ministry would facilitate the integration of government regulations and experimental fields, he added.
Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy chairman Eugene Chien (簡又新) said the 5G system would change the industry and people’s way of life, as it makes various applications possible, from smart healthcare and driverless vehicles to uncrewed aerial vehicles.
It would bring great business opportunities and help upgrade the industry to a higher level, he said.
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