The Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法) on Friday cleared the legislative floor, paving the way for telecoms to share networks and frequency bands, a major step forward for the development of 5G networks.
To encourage private participation in 5G network development, the act allows operators to register to be a 5G service provider, as opposed to subjecting them to franchising, as was the previous procedure.
The act stipulates that the National Communications Commission must release frequency bands through auctions or tenders, which would make better use of bandwidth, which is public property, and facilitate telecommunications development.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The commission should allow frequency ranges to be shared, leased or loaned between operators, with the ranges to be allocated after gaining commission approval, the act says.
The commission may conduct unannounced checks of bandwidth use, and limit procurement and use of equipment if it detects a threat to national security, it says.
The act stipulates that telecoms may negotiate to jointly introduce roaming services to boost coverage and improve reception quality in rural areas.
To prevent telecoms from rolling out roaming services without building infrastructure in rural areas, the act stipulates that telecoms must jointly shoulder management costs and losses from operations in rural areas.
The government should allocate revenue to build telecommunications infrastructure in rural areas, it says.
To protect privacy rights, telecoms must keep accurate records of correspondence with customers, as well as bills, and allow them access to the information, it says.
In emergencies, telecoms must comply with government requests to access correspondence or other information, it says.
In a bid to expedite the development of 5G, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has said that it expects to announce this month the scope and timetable for applications for 5G licenses, and define “Type I” telecoms eligible to offer 5G services.
The rules are to be revised by the commission — which is expected to take eight to 10 months — and it is also to be in charge of auctions for bandwidth.
The Cabinet can accelerate licensing for 5G service providers in compliance with a resolution issued by lawmakers, said Tsai Zse-hong (蔡志宏), executive secretary of the Executive Yuan’s Board of Science and Technology.
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