Chunghwa Telecom Co (CHT, 中華電信) yesterday became the nation’s first telecom to secure a 5G license after the National Communications Commission approved its application.
The license allows the nation’s largest telecom to build the new system using the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) and 28GHz frequency bands.
CHT has already built more than 250 cell sites, the required minimum to launch a 5G service, NCC spokesman Hsiao Chi-hung (蕭祈宏) said, adding that the commission reviewed the company’s business plan and information security plan, and inspected its facilities before issuing the license.
According to the Regulations for Administration of Mobile Broadband Businesses (行動寬頻業務管理規則), the telecom should launch a 5G service within six months of receiving the license.
“It can launch the service whenever it is ready,” Hsiao said.
CHT chairman Sheih Chi-mau (謝繼茂) told a shareholders’ meeting last week that the telecom could launch its 5G service on July 1.
Asked about CHT’s proposed monthly fees for its 5G service, the commission said it would be given such information after the telecom launches the service.
The company built a majority of its cell sites using the 3.5GHz frequency band, as the facilities developed for this frequency band were already available for use, the commission said.
The telecom’s cell sites are mainly located in the six special municipalities — Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung — it said.
Hsiao said that the NCC has also completed inspections of 5G facilities built by Far EasTone Telecommunications Co (遠傳電信), adding that it could secure a 5G license at the weekly commissioners’ meeting next week.
Taiwan Mobile Co (台灣大哥大) and Taiwan Star Telecom Co (台灣之星) are still building the base stations needed to launch a 5G service and have not had their facilities inspected by the NCC, he said.
The commission has yet to approve Asia Pacific Telecom Co’s (亞太電信) business plan, as it changed its plan to focus on the construction of a 5G system using the 28GHz frequency band, he added.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
RSS