The NCC passed the draft of the “Charge Standards of Frequency Utilization Fee” during the 905th Committee Meeting today (the 15th). By creating incentives for mobile communications, the draft encourages mobile communications operators not only to optimize network infrastructure and communications coverage in remote and designated areas, but also invest in vertical field cooperation and innovation in order to facilitate digital inclusion and accelerate 5G service innovation.
As radio frequency is a limited public resource, reasonable radio frequency charge standards can facilitate its fair distribution, as well as the effective use of frequency resources, and the implementation of the user-pays principle. Frequency utilization fee related charge standards, their period, methods and payment have all been established in accordance with Paragraph 2, Article 64 of Telecommunications Management Act. As the charge standards are based on Charge Standards of Utilization Fee of Radio Frequency, established under the authorization Paragraph 2, Article 48 of Telecommunications Act and after taking into consideration the operations and penetration rate of mobile communications market, amount of released bandwidth, technology, and market and service maturity, the draft has therefore been established accordingly.
NCC indicates that, apart from original incentives that encourage business operators to establish bandwidth infrastructure in remote and designated areas, communications coverage of cabins in mountainous areas has also been included in the frequency utilization fee reduction criteria in order to promote the greater access in remote areas policy of the government and to improve nationwide mobile communications signals in mountainous areas. It can be expected that through public-private collaboration, government policy can guide and encourage mobile communications operators to further invest in mobile broadband network infrastructure with view to optimizing network coverage rate in such remote areas.
With an objective of motivating domestic mobile communications operators to proactively develop innovative vertical applications and to promote all types of applications services (ex. smart factory, smart healthcare, smart agriculture and smart city), the drafted charge standards also offer fee reductions to mobile communication frequency users that collaborate with those of a special field, with view to boosting interdisciplinary cooperation that can facilitate the development of new 5G business service models and strengthen the nation’s communications industry.
The draft shall be announced to the public in advance for 30 days. By doing so, NCC hopes that all sectors can become aware of the proposed changes and provide valuable feedback so that the standards can be perfected and accord to the needs of mobile communications development.
Issue Date: April 15, 2020
Contact Person: Deputy Director Niu Hsin-ren
Telephone: 02-33438402
Mobile: 0972-939-588
