Taiwan expects satellite service by UK provider OneWeb will cover the entire island by the end of this year, the Central News Agency cited Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang as saying in an interview.
(Bloomberg) — Taiwan expects satellite service by UK provider OneWeb will cover the entire island by the end of this year, the Central News Agency cited Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang as saying in an interview.
Tang said the service expansion will provide more options for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to Taiwan, according to the report. Backed by the UK government, OneWeb services currently are only available in the northern part of the island, Tang told CNA.
OneWeb is “very willing” to work with Taiwan to bolster the island’s communication infrastructure, according to the minister.
The island’s disaster response plan calls for the establishment of 700 satellite receivers placed all over Taiwan. Some of the receivers would be fixed, others mobile, and they would have to be configured to receive communications from multiple constellations of satellites in LEO and Medium Earth Orbit.
Tang made a rare trip to London earlier this week, visiting OneWeb headquarters and reportedly meeting with UK ministers. Tom Tugendhat, Britain’s security minister, met Tang on Wednesday to discuss mutual security interests, Reuters cited people with knowledge of the talks as saying. The meeting breaks with the UK’s conventional foreign policy and risks infuriating the Chinese authorities, the report said.
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