The National Communications Commission (NCC) has recently published its 2022 Communications Market Report, making it available on the NCC website. The report contains survey results of domestic consumer trends, information relevant to the provision of communications domestically, as well as international data for comprehensive analysis, including information from the International Telecommunications Union, market research organizations, and various governments of advanced nations.
NCC stated that the market survey was commissioned by Taiwan Institute of Economic Research and that the report pointed out that mobile communication revenues in Taiwan had decreased from TWD 225.4 billion to TWD 153.7 billion between 2012 and 2020. However, with the launch of 5G services in the second half of 2020, and an increase in both 5G users and tariffs, mobile communication revenues rose slightly to TWD 155 billion in 2021, which was also due to a slight increase in the number of mobile communication users climbing from 29.29 million in 2020 to 29.58 million in 2021.
The results of the survey also showed that more than 50% of the people aged 16 or over only use mobile phones at home; more than 70% have not yet upgraded from 4G to 5G services, the main reason being that 4G services are already satisfying consumer needs. The survey also indicates that people acknowledge the network transmission speed of 5G is faster than that of 4G, but that 5G network coverage can still be improved. In addition, nearly 90% of the people can access the internet at home and the proportion of internet access via mobile network has been higher than fixed network over the past few years.
The report also pointed out that the primary means for watching television for people aged 16 or over in Taiwan is still cable TV, followed by OTT TV. Nearly 50% of people who have watched OTT TV said that they never had watched TV by other way; while 40% of them said they had previously watched cable TV, and the main reason for switching to OTT TV was "traditional TV service charges are too expensive". In addition, about 70% of the people are aware that sponsored television programs may present specific product, brand, service or relevant information and characteristics for the purpose of marketing i.e. placement marketing in programs, and this can be accepted by more than 60% of them. As for whether the information imparted is disinformation, most of the people tend to verify it based on their own knowledge, experience, etc., though approximately 20% choose not to confirm whether the information is fake or not.
NCC also stated that in addition to presenting survey results and analysis, the report also makes an in-depth analysis of global issues such as international 5G applications, low-orbit satellites, preparations for 6G, information security development, OTT regulatory direction, countermeasures against disinformation, news media bargaining, and the monopoly of digital platforms, and finally a comprehensive discussion of the current situation and trends of the overall communications market, raising the challenges Taiwan is facing at this stage, opportunities for development, and future prospects.
NCC pointed out that with the rise of 5G communications technology and the trend of digital convergence, the development of the communications market is related to the important economic development momentum of the nation as a whole. The communications market report is a comprehensive report, analyzing both international and domestic communication industries, exploring the supply and demand structure of the Taiwan’s market and referring to international benchmarks for national policy. It has been published each year since 2017 and serves as a valuable reference for industry, government and academia, as well as the commission’s own regulatory policy.
