Asia-Pacific Telecom (APT) should improve its 4G coverage first if it wants to share Far EasTone Telecommunications’ 5G spectrum and network, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday.
Far EasTone secured 80 megahertz (MHz) of bandwidth in the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band and 400MHz in the 28GHz band in a two-phase auction organized by the commission, which ended on Feb. 21 last year.
APT withdrew from the bidding for bandwidth in the 3.5GHz frequency band and obtained 400MHz in the 28GHz band.
The two telecoms last year formed a strategic partnership through a share swap deal in which APT agreed to contribute NT$9.473 billion (US$333 million at the current exchange rate) to build a 5G network on the 3.5GHz frequency band with Far EasTone.
The deal would account for about two-ninths of the total network construction costs, in exchange for the right to access two-ninths of the network’s capacity for 20 years.
The commission yesterday began reviewing the application for the partnership.
If the application is approved, it would be the first time in Taiwan that two telecoms offer services using the same spectrum and network.
Far EasTone president Chee Ching (井琪) and APT president Huang Nan-ren (黃南仁) yesterday attended weekly commissioners’ meeting to answer questions, NCC Vice Chairman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said.
In her presentation, Ching addressed issues related to personal data protection, fair competition, frequency spectrum use, network construction and information security, he said.
However, the commission decided to resume deliberations after the two telecoms submitted additional information requested by the commissioners, Wong said.
“We are cautiously optimistic about the partnership, but we want the two carriers to offer more information on how each of them can manage the network independently, maintain 5G service quality, raise the service coverage rate and ensure full disclosure of information,” he said.
The commissioners are particularly concerned about APT’s 4G service coverage rate, which is significantly lower than that of other carriers, Wong said.
A large number of telecoms worldwide are adopting a “non-standalone” model in providing 5G services, meaning that part of the service would still be offered via 4G cell stations, Wong said.
As the nation’s five carriers have different 4G coverage rates, the quality of 5G service would vary depending on the 4G coverage rates of their carriers, he said.
“From our perspective, if they want to share the use of the spectrum and network, subscribers in both companies must be treated equally. They should experience the same download and upload speed when they access the 5G services, for example,” Wong said, adding that APT should fully disclose service information to consumers, such as its 4G coverage rate.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS