The "2024 World Telecom Smart City Conference,"organized by the Industrial Development Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), kicked off at the Nangang Exhibition Center on March 21st as part of the Smart City Summit and Expo. Representatives from leading global telecommunications companies such as Orange from France, Swisscom from Switzerland, Exatel from Poland, NTT from Japan, VNPT and FPT Software from Vietnam, as well as Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories, gathered together to share insights and experiences on "Empowering Business Digital Transformation with Innovative Applications of Telecommunications" at the conference. Two sessions of seminars attracted a total of 215 participants from 171 telecommunications companies, system integrators, and network equipment vendors, including those from Europe, the United States, Asia and Taiwan.

During his opening remarks, Mr. Der-Sheng Lin, Secretary General of the Industrial Development Administration, MOEA, stated that in recent years, many industries have been enhancing their competitiveness through investment in smart transformation. Throughout this process, there is a need for complex handling of tasks such as sensor data collection, extensive data computation, and artificial intelligence analysis to perform optimized decision-making analysis. These demands are increasing day by day, and the inadequacy of the previous 4G networks is evident. There is a growing reliance on the characteristics of 5G networks, such as large bandwidth, multi-connectivity, and low latency, to fulfill these requirements. It is clear that 5G technology plays an increasingly important role in industrial transformation. DG Lin further emphasized that the MOEA has been actively creating an interconnected testing environment in recent years, assisting industries in developing 5G technology solutions compatible with international base station network systems. Simultaneously, through validation sites, the ministry has been guiding the ICT industry in cross-industry collaboration to invest in the development of 5G value-added applications, accumulating practical experience in product feasibility. For instance, in 2023, the ministry facilitated over 233 businesses to collaborate across industries, creating vertical application frameworks and demonstrations in up to 36 5G featured areas in Kaohsiung's Asia New Bay Area. It is expected that through these application cases, telecom operators from various countries can understand Taiwan's 5G technology capabilities, facilitating collaboration with international partners.

To deepen the international communities' impression of Taiwan's 5G technology strength, several demonstrations were arranged at this year's telecommunications conference. These included presentations by Pegatron on the deployment of 5G private networks combined with satellite communication systems for resilient applications, and by TransNet showcasing the latest case of 5G private network integration with drone patrols for smart automation at yacht docks. At the same time, Askey also arranged an on-site special exhibition of "Into Paul Chiang" from the Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center to create a 5G remote demonstration, and with the Shoushan Zoo, they shared application cases that combine 5G with AR technology, allowing visitors to interact with animals virtually and solve puzzles, enabling all guests to personally experience the latest trends of Taiwan's 5G technology actively involved in life and artistic applications.

Furthermore, Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories and NTT from Japan shared their collaborative efforts in accelerating the development and deployment of Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) technology in 2023. They jointly presented the basics of 5G optical technology: IOWN technology development and application planning. Additionally, for the first time in Taiwan, Exatel from Poland also addressed and promoted its collaboration in 2023 with Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom, Compal, and Pegatron on the establishment of the "5G Zone" in Warsaw, focusing on promoting the current status of 5G AIoT smart service applications. It is convinced that these successful demonstration cases of 5G technology development in Taiwan can be seamlessly conveyed through this annual conference, thereby increasing efforts to jointly build a 5G ecosystem with international partners and fostering opportunities for technological transformation.