Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信), the nation’s biggest telecom, has negotiated exclusive agency operation rights for major low-orbit satellites, the company’s chairman said today.
Through the agreements, the company could introduce Taiwanese firms into satellite supply chains and help build out the sector domestically, Chunghwa chairman Alex Chien (簡志誠) said in an interview with the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper).
In addition to Chunghwa’s own ST-2 satellites, which are already in service, the company in April signed an agreement with US-based Astranis Space Technologies Corp for NT$4 billion (US$137.8 million) to build a third-generation compact geostationary orbit (MicroGEO) satellite, which would be Taiwan’s first exclusive communications satellite, he said.
Photo: Chang Chia-jui, Taipei Times
This satellite is considered a “sovereign satellite,” because Chunghwa would retain full ownership of it, including independent control and use of its full bandwidth, he said.
The goal is to retain communication security and autonomy in situations such as earthquakes or geopolitical crises, he said.
The satellite would launch at the end of this year and be in service by the second half of next year, he added.
The company is discussing satellite cooperation projects with countries in Northern Europe, Chien added.
Chunghwa has also signed a deal with Luxembourg-based SES SA, the only company in the world that operates medium Earth orbit satellites, Chien said.
The telecom has already applied for spectrum allocation from the Ministry of Digital Affairs and is awaiting approval from the National Communications Commission before launching its service, Chien said.
There are four low-orbit satellite companies in the world, but Chunghwa cannot work with one of them, Starlink, due to regulatory issues, Chien said.
Of the rest, Chunghwa has negotiated exclusive deals with Eutelsat OneWeb in the UK, the US' Kuiper Systems and Canada’s Telesat, Chien said.
Separately, to improve the resiliency of Taiwan’s international communication networks, Chunghwa aims to install seven new submarine cables and a landing station, Chien said.
The telecom at present operates seven cables and four landing stations, he added.
Two of the new cables are set to go online in the second half of this year, connecting Taiwan to Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, and then another connecting Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and India, Chien said.
A new trans-Pacific fiber optic submarine cable, dubbed E2A, is set to go online in 2028, he added.
Taiwan also has nine domestic cables connecting its main island and outlying islands, Chien said, adding that a fourth cable between Taiwan, and Penghu, Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties is under construction and expected to be completed next year.
The company is investing in new technologies in building these submarine cables, including artificial intelligence to ensure resiliency, he said.
The goal is to turn Taiwan into a regional hub for the communications industry, driving growth, job creation and the development of technology, Chien said.
In response to concerns about ships damaging submarine cables, the company has taken measures such as adding protective layers to them, burying them deeper underground and improving cooperation with the Coast Guard Administration, Chien said.
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