Ferry on Taiwan-Penghu route gets broadband internet connection
Ferry on Taiwan-Penghu route gets broadband internet connection
2024-04-18
A ferry that serves the Taiwan-Penghu route has a new broadband internet connection. Phone signal out at sea has traditionally been nonexistent or very patchy. It’s a big problem for ferry workers who spend long periods at sea separated from family and friends. But now, a project by the Ministry of Digital Affairs has brought signal to 90% of the route, which Minister Audrey Tang says is a human rights issue. Maritime experts say they hope similar upgrades can be brought to other routes in Taiwan’s waters.
The Penghu launched last year. In the past, phone signal was unavailable on the ship while at sea, but now it’s easy to send messages and photos to friends.
The Ministry of Digital Affairs worked with central and local government departments as well as telecoms providers to set up five new base stations, and improve 81 preexisting stations in the sea of Tainan and Kaohsiung. The upgrades mean you have internet signal throughout 90% of the 4.5-hour journey of the Penghu.
Audrey Tang Feng
Digital affairs minister
At the Ministry of Digital Affairs, we see broadband internet as a basic human right. We realized that this kind of ferry can be remodeled into a kind of quasi-base station. Normally it would take more than a year to build one station. But we have completed the line in just six months.
Yu Cheng-lieh
Captain of The Penghu
I remember when the internet was connected, I was on the ship and I received a text from my child, saying, “Happy birthday dad!” It’s impossible to express the warmth you get from such a message.
There’s both 4G and 5G phone signal, which means a lot for people who work on the ship long-term, and will no longer be cut off from family and friends. Now there are questions about whether the system can be extended to other shipping routes around Taiwan.
Yeh Hsieh-lung
Maritime & Port Bureau head
Every year, 600,000 trips are taken along the Budai-Makung Route. This upgrade will provide a good communication service. We can ask the Ministry of Digital Affairs to collaborate with us again on the Taima Route and Eastern Route.
This milestone in maritime internet provision will have a big impact on sailors and allow people traveling to Penghu to post photos of the beautiful ocean journey in real time.
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數位部合作地方優化基地台 澎湖輪航行不斷網
2024-04-18
不少人搭輪船旅遊，不免困擾沒網路可以發訊息或打卡，去年啟航的澎湖輪，在數位部和地方合作下，優化沿線基地台，在船上有9成時間通訊不受阻，到海中央也不怕斷訊。
澎湖輪去年啟航，以前手機只要到海中央就斷訊，現在傳訊息、上傳美照都沒問題。
數位部攜手中央地方，以及電信業者，增設5座基地台，並改善台南、高雄沿海81座基地台，讓4.5小時航程中，九成時間都能使用網路。
[[數位部長 唐鳳]]
“對我們數位部來講，寬頻上網是基本人權。我們就想了想，其實這個類郵輪，本身就可以改造成一艘類基地台，平常是要超過一年才能夠完成一台，那現在半年的時間，就把沿線打造完成。”
[[澎湖輪船長 余成烈]]
“還記得網路暢通後，我在船上工作收到一封孩子給我的簡訊，說爸爸生日快樂，這種言語的溫馨是無法表達出來的。”
手機4G、5G都有訊號，讓長期在船上工作的船員及船長很有感，不再因為工作和家人斷聯。外界也好奇是否能推進到其他國內船班航線。
[[交通部航港局局長 葉協隆]]
“一年有60幾萬人次的布馬線(布袋-馬公)，也可以透過這次的優化，能夠提供好的通訊服務。針對台馬航線跟東部航線，我們能夠再來請教數發部，未來有進一步合作的機會。”
海上通訊里程碑，讓旅客還沒登上澎湖就先將沿途風光po上網，更即時分享旅程點滴。
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