NCC once again forges a No. 1 for Taiwan – It has completed the project of Broadband for all Villages.

Initiation ceremony of broadband network service in remote tribes and villages of Taidong County

　　The broadband data access universal service was officially initiated today at Dawu Village of Dawu Township, Zhenxing Village of Chishang Village, Senyong Village of Daren Township, Jiafeng Village of Beinan Township, and Langdao Village of Orchid Island, and was jointed hosted Su Yong-qin, Chairman of NCC, Chen Guang-nian, Chairman of the Council of Indigenous Peoples, Kuang Li-zhen, magistrate of Taitung County, Le Zhang-rong, director of township, and He Chen-dan, Chairman of Chunghwa Telecom Company Limited. NCC appointed Chunghwa Telecom Company Limited to implement the construction of broadband network at the aforementioned 5 villages.  

　　To reduce the digital divide between urban and rural areas and achieve the policy objective of Broadband for Villages, NCC, on December of 2006, modified “Regulations on Telecommunications Universal Service” and included broadband network of data communications into the scope of universal service. Besides, it also, on June 1, 2007, appointed operators to provide data communication access universal service so as shorten the time-span of construction. Through site inspection to survey the broadband that has not yet achieved the needs of villager for broadband network, NCC, on May31, 2007, appointed Chunghwa Telecom Company Limited to cover the construction of broadband network for 8 Counties, 24 Townships, 43 Villages, while Taiwan Fixed Network Company Limited will cover the construction of broadband network for 3 villages in Alishan Township of Chiayi County to and provide broadband with speed of faster than 2Mbps.

　　As both operators have improvised with existing fiber optic cable or cable network to overcome various kinds of barriers, the construction was completed on schedule. The entire project was previously expected to be completed by the end of the year, except that of Haochu Village of Pingdong County which was affected by a typhoon and the date of completion was postponed to the end of February next year, the construction at the remaining 45 villages were completed by December 15 - ahead of schedule. Upon completion, Taiwan became the first country around the world to deploy broadband to all its villages. As such, NCC acknowledges the efforts of Chunghwa Telecom Company Limited and Taiwan Fixed Network Company Limited with much affirmation and recognition as its staff has collaborated with much effort to the policy of Broadband for Villages.

　　The design of the “Telecommunications Universal Service Fund” was a key determinant to the success of this project. As a whole, total expenditure of construction at these 46 villages amounted to about NT$96,5 million, which was jointly shared by Type I and II telecom service providers of voice re-sale and network phone whose annual business turnover achieve more than NT$200 million (18 operators);they share on a pro rata basis year by year. As such, they will jointly shoulder the social responsibility as corporations of telecom service providers who offer the entire community with necessary and basic communication service upon reasonable price. 

With completion, remote villages and tribes can expect the following benefits:

1. Reduces information gaps of education in remote areas.
2. Solves the problem of students without broadband access at home, despite use at school. 
3. Develops ecological tourism and boosts agricultural development, to increase employment opportunities and help along young people coming back to contribute to their own tribes. 
4. Introduces tribal culture, languages, cuisine, humanistic landscape, handcrafts, tourist resources, guest houses, agricultural products, etc., and generally improves the economy of tribes and connects them to the world.
5. Uses Quadruple Play or Multiple Play to solve problems of indoor telephone in tribes, public telephone, broadband internet, multimedia on demand (MOD) service and mobile communications service.
6. Increases internet speed by 12 times within one year (from 56kbps via dial up internet or 256kbps via long-distance supply into 2Mbps).
7. e-learning: promotes learning of aboriginal languages and long-distance education via internet.
8. Connects with government websites and uses instant messenger tools (E-mail or MSN) in order to improve administrative efficiency in remote areas.