Chunghwa Telecom Co yesterday said it is exploring partnerships with low Earth orbit satellite service providers led by Elon Musk’s Starlink project to offer diverse services and enhance its Internet coverage beyond 5G broadband technology.
“There are several non-geostationary orbit satellite systems under development globally, with Starlink taking the lead. Chunghwa Telecom does not rule out seeking exchanges and cooperation with those international operators,” the company said in a statement.
It would comply with the government’s satellite services regulations and evaluate further collaboration opportunities, it said.
Photo: AP
The nation’s biggest telecom said it is paying attention to the development of next-generation technologies for geosynchronous orbit satellites, low Earth orbit satellites, and beyond-5G and 6G connectivity.
Among those, low Earth orbit satellite technology has the potential to help the company diversify its services and supplement terrestrial 5G infrastructure to boost its network coverage, the statement said.
Chunghwa Telecom made the announcement after the Chinese-language Commercial Times yesterday reported that the company is to launch a satellite service with Starlink next year at the earliest.
Photo: CNA
Starlink, a division of US rocket supplier SpaceX, provides Internet access via satellites that are more than 60 times closer to Earth than traditional satellites, resulting in lower latency and the ability to support services typically not possible with traditional satellites, particularly in remote areas.
Starlink has so far signed up 9,000 users in 12 countries, CNBC reported early this month.
Chunghwa Telecom chairman Hsieh Chi-mao (謝繼茂) told the Commercial Times that Starlink and the telecom have begun preparations to launch the service in Taiwan to ensure that satellite communications do not interfere with the transmission of 5G signals.
The telecom must first secure approval from the National Communications Commission (NCC) before it can offer Starlink services to local customers, NCC Vice Chairman and spokesman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) told the Taipei Times.
“We have to check the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Radio Frequency Supply Plan (無線電頻譜供應計畫) and Table of Radio Frequency Allocations (頻率分配表),” Wong said.
“Once the ministry has assigned a certain frequency and bandwidth to be used for a low Earth orbit satellite communication, the telecom would have to submit a business plan on how the service is to be offered to local customers,” Wong said.
According to the latest Radio Frequency Supply Plan, which was published early this month, the government is to release the frequencies of 10,700-12,700 megahertz (MHz), 14,000-14,500MHz, 17,700-20,200MHz, 27,500-27,900MHz and 29,500-30,000MHz for low Earth orbit and synchronous satellite communication in the initial stage.
International satellite service providers would be able to form partnerships with local telecoms that hold spectrum at the frequency band of 28 gigahertz.
SpaceX launched a trial for the Starlink service in October last year, offering satellite Internet access at US$99 per month.
Nevada-based Aerkomm Inc last year filed an application with the NCC to offer a low Earth orbit satellite service in Taiwan and was asked to present a more detailed business plan.
In related news, telecoms that qualify for a government subsidy program would soon receive NT$9.92 billion (US$356.67 million) to be spent on 5G infrastructure.
The funding is part of a five-year incentive program announced by the Executive Yuan last year to reward telecoms that accelerate installations of 5G base stations.
Qualifying telecoms would be given a total subsidy of NT$26.6 billion in the next five years for the construction of base stations, according to the program.
Telecoms would be granted subsidies if they build more base stations than they have promised in their business plans. The more they exceeded their goals, the more government funding they would receive, according to the program.
The NCC is to announce next month telecoms that qualify for the funding.
HOT-SPRING RETREAT: A hotel in Japan incurred a loss of about US$1,846 after a Taiwanese man failed to show up for his reservation due to a misunderstood message A Taiwanese man who failed to show up for a hotel reservation in Japan has apologized and offered compensation, the hotel said yesterday. The man, surnamed Lee (李), reserved a room at the Yufuin Tsubaki hot-spring hotel in Oita for the Lunar New Year holiday, but failed to show up on Friday. Lee yesterday called the hotel to apologize and offered to compensate the losses caused by his failure to show up, a hotel employee surnamed Yashiro said. Lee’s wife also called on Sunday to apologize, she said. Lee had booked a two-night stay with upscale seafood and beef meals, the hotel said. His
Two Taiwanese Americans were among those killed in a mass shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California, on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles (TECO LA) said it contacted local authorities, who confirmed that two of the 11 killed in the shooting were Taiwanese Americans. “TECO LA conveys our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families, and sends our prayers to the injured for a speedy recovery,” it said in a statement. The office said it is assisting the relatives of one of the victims to travel from
A senior US senator on Monday questioned the willingness of some US allies to help defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. Although Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) expects the US and Japan to respond in a war in the Taiwan Strait, he was “a little less confident what our other allies would do,” US Senator John Cornyn said. Australia and New Zealand have voiced support for Taiwan, but it “is a far cry from committing troops to repel an invasion,” Cornyn said during a discussion on China, Russia and the state of US military readiness at a forum hosted
Whisky connoisseurs are a rapidly growing demographic in Taiwan, driving prices ever higher as collectors vie for the most coveted editions. Although not a new pastime, whisky collection has been picking up steam in recent years. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, Taiwan was the third-largest buyer of Scotch whisky in 2021 in monetary terms. One collector, surnamed Fu (傅), said there are many types of whisky that are ripe for collecting. One that has skyrocketed in price in recent years is the Macallan 12-year-old Gran Reserva, which bears a striking purple label, said Fu, who has more than 10 years of experience as
RSS