Taiwan to boost digital convergence sector by easing industry restrictions.(Brief article)

Taipei, July 13, 2010 (CENS) -- The Executive Yuan, Taiwan's Cabinet, recently approved a project to allow the island's telecom, broadcasting and Internet providers to cross industry boundaries into one another's turfs as its first step to facilitate the development of the island's digital-convergence industry.

The Yuan has worked out a two-step formula for setting up the industry by 2015. In the first step, spanning from 2010 to 2012, the Yuan will draft amendments to Cable Radio and Television Act, Radio and Television Act, Satellite Broadcasting Act, and Telecommunications Act for approvals by the Legislative Yuan.

The second step, running from 2012 to 2014, calls for the legislation of regulations for an integrated or a divided digital-convergence structure. In the meantime, the Cabinet will help launch six key measures to promote the development of the industry: readying high-speed broadband network, promoting telecommunications convergence service, accelerating TV digitization, initiating new video services, facilitating upgrades of telecommunications and communications industries and setting up surroundings for digital convergence industry.

Premier Wu Den-yih urged all government organizations associated with digital convergence development to push for the legislations so that Taiwan can catch up with South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong and lead mainland China in the competition.

The premier said the Cabinet has projected to offer 80% of families around the island access to 100Mbps-grade broadband cable networks while boosting new video services to reach 50% of the island's households in the meantime.