Cho Chen-tan, Minister of Transportation under President Tsai Ing-wen’s government, publicly stated yesterday that in response to digital convergence, the government should relax restrictions on party, military, and government investment in media. He argued that because of regulatory limitations, some investors are unwilling to participate, which narrows investment and innovation opportunities. No other country in the world operates this way, he insisted. Opening this pathway is not about favoring any particular faction, but about injecting capital into the media industry.
Speaking at the 2017 Technology Forum titled “Digital Convergence Innovation” organized by this publication, Cho stated:
“The government should relax restrictions on party, military, and government investment in media. We shouldn’t prevent everyone from participating simply because of what happened with one political party in the past. Just because the government is helping state-owned funds invest in high-performing companies doesn’t mean we should prohibit others from doing so. The government helping new capital enter the media industry doesn’t bring enemies—it brings opportunity.”
📡 Promoting the Digital Economy
Cho went on to explain that in response to digital convergence, the government must promote digital economy development, including:
- Opening 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) spectrum, with experimental 5G frequency bands and preparation before 2020 commercialization.
- Opening low-frequency spectrum to IoT applications for commercial deployment.
- Also deregulating third-party and mobile payment regulations.
Cho pointed out that the digital convergence era means greater breadth in equipment, network operations, distribution channels, and transmission, bringing enormous business opportunities for entertaining content.