The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said it has asked the Telecom Technology Center to conduct large-scale testing on mobile Internet services this year in a bid to reduce consumer complaints.
“Consumers and telecoms operators have their own explanations as to why the speed of transmission on mobile Internet services is slow,” NCC spokesperson Chen Jeng-chang (陳正倉) said.“We hope that testing conducted by a reliable third party will help to find a method of accurately measuring the transmission speed of mobile Internet services, which could help resolve many disputes.”
At present, customers can have unlimited access to a mobile Internet service by paying a flat rate per month, also known as an “all-you-can-eat” service.
Chen said the commission would also review this type of service, as some consumers have abused it by downloading large quantities of data, slowing the operation of the entire network.
Chen said the commission would consider the possibility of having a tier-pricing system for mobile Internet services, in which customers may have to pay more if they want to enjoy faster transmission speeds.
“We cannot simply ask the operators to keep installing more infrastructure,” Chen said. “The price of the service is another factor. We are not saying that we are about to increase the price. We are simply saying that we will set a fair pricing scheme by considering all the factors, from the supply as well as the demand sides.”
Meanwhile, Minister-Without-Portfolio Simon Chang (張善政) said yesterday that it is important that everybody has access to a broadband Internet service, as it is a basic human right.
Chang also said that telecoms carriers should reduce their service charges if they cannot meet the minimum guaranteed bandwidth they promise.
In response, Chen said that the government should budget to fund improvements to the nation’s broadband Internet services if they are indeed a basic human right.
“The key is how the government should execute the policy,” Chen said, adding that the commission fully supports the concept of broadband Internet service being a basic human right.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
The age requirement for commercial pilots and airline transport pilots is to be lowered by two years, to 18 and 21 years respectively, to expand the pool of pilots in accordance with international standards, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced today. The changes are part of amendments to articles 93, 119 and 121 of the Regulations Governing Licenses and Ratings for Airmen (航空人員檢定給證管理規則). The amendments take into account age requirements for aviation personnel certification in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and EU’s aviation safety regulations, as well as the practical needs of managing aviation personnel licensing, the ministry said. The ministry
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