Premier Su Tseng-chang said on Thursday that the nation's 5G action plan will develop a broad array of value-added telecommunications services and vertical applications in Taiwan. The nation will also endeavor to carve out a key place in the global 5G supply chain, which will help Taiwanese firms secure strategic positions amid the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China.
The premier made the remarks following a briefing on the action plan by the Executive Yuan's Office of Science and Technology (OST). The plan was approved on May 10 and will devote NT$20.5 billion (US$655 million) over four years beginning in 2019.
Taiwan offers excellent overall conditions for the development of 5G technology, the premier said. In the fields of mobile communications, information and telecommunications technology, and semiconductor technology, Taiwan has built solid foundations that include strong talent cultivation and governance environments, Premier Su said. Corporations and private citizens are also highly amenable to innovative technologies.
Central and local government agencies must keep up with the times and improve their work efficiency by staying abreast of the latest tech developments, he continued. Authorities should view 5G from the perspective of people's needs, working with companies and service providers to create opportunities for 5G applications. These efforts allow citizens to enjoy the enhanced convenience and quality of life that come with 5G, usher Taiwan into the 5G era, and make smart living a reality.
The OST said that more than 10 applications for 5G experimentation in various domains have been received so far, from telecom providers, network communication suppliers, innovative application firms, and R&D organizations working in collaboration. Aside from building greater competitiveness into the nation's 5G system and product market, the action plan will encourage the formation of cross-domain cooperative platforms to create end-to-end industrial chains. So far, Chunghwa Telecom and Far EasTone Telecommunications have each established "national teams" for 5G, forming alliances with more than 40 companies and R&D units across the industrial, academic and research sectors to support numerous startup companies and drive the development of Taiwan's 5G industrial chain.