NCC Chairperson Yaw-Shyang Chen was invited to participate in the "2023 Taiwan-Europe Telecom Forum" organized by the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) on October 27. The theme of the forum was "How Telecoms are driving sustainability, digitalisation, AI and industry innovation." Chairperson Chen served as a speaker, sharing 5G development and AI applications in Taiwan.
The forum was attended by Mr Giuseppe Izzo, Chairman of the ECCT, Dr Ming-Hsin Kung, Chairman of the National Development Council (NDC), Mr Lauri Raunio, Representative of the Finland Trade Center in Taiwan, Mr Anders Wollter, Representative of the Swedish Trade and Investment Council, and Mr Emile M. P. Chang, Director-General of the Investment Promotion Department of Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA), all of whom delivered opening remarks. The forum discussed important topics such as telecom innovation, cross-industry applications, and the sustainable transformation and competition policies of the telecom industry.
Figure 1: Chairperson Yaw-Shyang Chen at the "2023 Taiwan-Europe Telecom Forum"
During the forum, Chairperson Chen stated that the global economy has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for about three years. However, it had also raised awareness of the importance of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry in our daily lives. In the post-pandemic era, 5G communications and AI technology are emerging as new engines for the global industry, and Taiwan will undoubtedly play an active role during this time.
Chairperson Chen first shared the historical progress of 5G development in Taiwan. He highlighted how since the completion of the first phase of 5G auctions in February, 2020, five telecom operators had successively launched services by the end of June of 2020. The Telecommunications Management Act (TMA) officially came into effect on July 1 of the same year, and a three-year transition period under the new law ended in 2023. The basic spirit of the TMA is to remove unnecessary regulations and encourage market participation, which helps telecom operators develop innovative 5G applications. In addition, the NCC has implemented various measures to encourage operators to accelerate and expand 5G infrastructure. As of now, there are approximately 8 million 5G users in Taiwan.
He then shared innovative application cases of domestic telecom operators utilizing 5G networks and AI technology, including technology-assisted law enforcement, smart factories, and telemedicine. These cases demonstrate the digital innovation potential of 5G across various industries, not only having commercial value but also significant meaning and importance in addressing social issues.
Finally, Chairperson Chen emphasized that as the regulatory authority for communications, the NCC will continue to uphold the principles of transparency, connectivity, and innovation in the face of digital convergence and industry changes. NCC will also continue to collaborate with various sectors to jointly seize key opportunities for digital development, respond to the demands of the 5G era, and promote the growth of the digital economy.
Figure 2: Group photo of distinguished guests at the "2023 Taiwan-Europe Telecom Forum."
