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Taiwan lawmakers remove legal hurdles for Starlink to operate satellite internet service on island
The authorities will be required to take into consideration national security and network security. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Taipei – Lawmakers in Taiwan approved legislative changes on July 21 that open the door for Starlink to operate its satellite internet service on the island, which is trying to secure communications in case of a war with China.
Taiwan, which China claims is part of its territory and has threatened to seize by force, has no low earth orbit satellites of its own and relies on subsea telecommunications cables to connect it to the rest of the world.
Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom has struck deals with several foreign satellite companies to provide backup telecommunications in case of war or natural disaster, but lawmakers argued these are not enough.
They said the Telecommunications Management Act’s requirements for telecoms operators to have a Taiwanese chairperson and foreign ownership caps of 49 per cent had deterred Starlink from entering Taiwan’s market.
In a rare moment of unity in the deeply divided Parliament, lawmakers from President Lai Ching-te’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) joined the opposition in approving changes to allow a case-by-case review process that could exempt companies, such as Starlink, from these rules.
The authorities will be required to take into consideration national security, network security, market competition and other factors when making their decision.
“This is a crucial step for Taiwan as it moves into a new era of international satellite communications and builds a resilient digital nation,” Kuomintang lawmaker Huang Chien-hao said in a statement.
Starlink, owned by US billionaire Elon Musk, dominates the global satellite communications sector with thousands of satellites in orbit and operations in dozens of countries.
The Taiwanese authorities have already seen what happens when subsea cables are disconnected.
In February 2023, two telecoms lines serving Taiwan’s outlying Matsu archipelago were severed, disrupting communications for weeks.
Taiwan has also learnt lessons from Ukraine, where Starlink has been a vital communications tool for the country’s forces fighting Russia’s troops.
DPP lawmaker Lin Chun-Hsien said: “This kind of satellite communication can greatly enhance the security and resilience of communications.”
However, some in Taiwan are wary of relying too heavily on Starlink after Musk admitted to blocking a Ukraine attack on Russian warships by turning off internet access to the system.
Musk’s business ties with China and previous comments that Taiwan should become part of China have also angered the island.
Even with the changes, however, it is unclear if Starlink will be interested in making its satellite service available to the island.
Digital Affairs Minister Lin Yi-jing said on Facebook in May that Starlink had indicated recently that Taiwan was not “a high-priority market”, citing its “small size and high population density” and nearly 100 per cent 4G and 5G population coverage.
“This may reflect Starlink’s true position, or it may simply be a negotiating tactic,” Lin said. AFP
