Promote constructions of telecommunication infrastructure and universal service in rural areas
In order to promote the telecommunications universal service and enable citizens to have basic telecommunications services at affordable prices, the Ministry of Digital Affairs shares or subsidizes the cost of telecommunication infrastructures built by telecom operators in compliance with the Universal Service Fund and the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program to encourage telecom operators establishing telecommunication infrastructures in rural areas, so that citizens can enjoy the conveniences of telecommunications services. After the implementation of policies mentioned above, the network coverage provided by main telecom operators who accepted subsidies shows that 5G mobile broadband coverage rate reaches 74.90%, 1Gbps fixed-line broadband coverage rate reaches 75.93%, and 100Mbps fixed-line broadband coverage rate reaches 86.39% in 87 statutory rural areas where districts with a population density lower than one-fifth of the national average population density or remote islands more than 7.5 kilometers away from the district of county hall.
The Telecommunications Universal Service: according to article 12 of Telecommunications Management Act, to ensure the citizens’ basic communication rights, telecom operators should share the losses and management expenses incurred by the telecommunications universal service, and make contributions to the telecommunications universal fund. The Ministry of Digital Affairs promotes universal services, not only including voice-based telecommunications, communication accesses, and public telephones in rural areas, but also including preferential tariffs for junior high schools and elementary schools and communication accesses for public libraries. The data of implementation areas and apportion of contributions by universal service has been opened to the website of Government Open Data.
The Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program: the moda encourages telecom operators to build mobile broadband base stations, disaster response mobile communication platforms, Gbps/Mbps fixed-line broadband and 4th Taiwan-Matsu submarine cable in rural areas and mountain areas, promoting broadband constructions in remote areas to enable citizens enjoy convenience of broadband.