The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday proposed an amendment to the Regulations Governing the Use of Radio Frequencies (無線電頻率使用管理辦法) that would allow telecoms to share their allotments of the 2,100 megahertz (MHz) frequency band if they have plans to end their 3G services.
NCC Vice Chairman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗), the commission’s spokesman, said that it proposed the amendment because Chunghwa Telecom plans to end its 3G services by 2024.
Taiwan Mobile chairman Daniel Tsai (蔡明忠) last year said that Taiwan could save a lot in maintenance costs and energy by having just one telecom run the 3G system or all telecoms running it on a shared platform.
The amendment would allow telecoms to share their 2,100MHz allocations, which includes the 1,920MHz to 1,980MHz and 2,110MHz to 2,170MHz ranges, Wong said, adding that they would only be allowed to use the shared bandwidth to offer voice services using circuit-switched fallback (CSFB) technology.
“This would help telecoms plan timelines to end 3G services,” the commission said. “If there are customers who have not migrated to voice services over the long-term evolution system when 3G services end, telecoms can still use the 2,100MHz band to provide 3G service via CSFB technology.”
“Not only would the amendment ensure that 3G users’ rights are protected, but it would also ensure that the frequency spectrum is used efficiently,” it said.
As the ecosystem and applications of the millimeter wave spectrum are still developing, countries around the world generally limit the use of bandwidth above 24 gigahertz and have an upper limit for such services, the NCC said.
The amendment is open to public view for 60 days, the commission said, adding that it would hold an information session to hear opinions from telecoms and other industry representatives.
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