By Dr. Yingjeou Ma

1
Taipei Experience The M-Taipei Initiative

• By Dr. Ying-jeou Ma
• Mayor of Taipei
• 2006/06/30

2
Comments about Wireless Taipei from World
Opinion Leaders

• On June 9, 2006, Taipei City bested the other six
  finalist cities to win the Intelligent Community
  Awards 2006 given by the Intelligent Community
  Forum (ICF). Taipeis success was mainly
  attributed to its wireless broadband
  infrastructure development and thorough promotion
  of e-living.

• On January 19, 2006, the Wall Street Journal
  reported,, that Taipei is the first municipality
  in the world offering citywide Wi-Fi access.

• On August 18, 2005, Intel selected Taipei as one
  of its four pilot communities for municipal
  wireless service improvement.

3
Highlights of the M-Taipei Initiative

• Largest-ever city-wide Wi-Fi network (roughly 134
  square km covered) by 2006, with planned WiMAX
  service
• A 9-year franchise Build Operate (BO) approach

4
Coverage of Wireless Taipei
5
Wireless APs in Taipei
On the major roads
6
Wireless APs in Taipei
Above the traffic lights
On the flyovers
7
Tariff Structure on WIFLY Services

• Pre-paid Card
• NT 100 (about US3) / one day (24hr)
• NT 500 (about US15.2) / one month
• Available at Starbucks and in 7-11 stores
• Monthly Payment
• NT 399 (about US12.1)/ per month
• Payable in person, at ATMs, by Easy Card, at
  7-11 Convenience Stores
• Student Special Offer (now until 10/31/2006)
• NT 299 (about US9) / per month
• Pre-paid by min (beginning in Sep. 2006)
• NT 300 (about US9) / 360min
• NT 600 (about US18) / 780min
• NT 800 (about US24) / 1600min
• Single Added Service (beginning in Jul. 2006)
• Limited up to NT 199 (about US6) / per month
• Ex Taipei Easy Call NT 99 (about US3) / per
  month

8
WIFLY Subscribers (1)
?in Total, 30,904 people have registered for
WIFlY service (as of a 06/22/2006 Survey)
9
WIFLY Subscriber Analysis (2)
(06/22/2006 Survey)
10
Examples of Commercial Application Services
LBS/ VoIP/ VoWLAN/ Wireless Skype/ IPTV
I talked with Niklas Zennstrom by skype via WIFLY
in a Taipei MRT station on February 2005.
P.Walker Service You can download movies, MP3s,
and games on Sonys PSP via WIFLY.
11
The Governments Role in M-Taipei

• Infrastructure builder cooperating with a
  private partner, Q-ware, to facilitate
  construction
• Public service provider developing public
  services to provide over the WLAN network
• Policy communicator raising public awareness of
  the M-Taipei vision

12
Public Application Services

• Taipei e-bus announced on May 16, 2005
• Wireless campus announced on June 3, 2005
• M-medicine announced on June 24, 2005
• Culture express announced on October 11, 2005
• Advanced ITS announced on April 4, 2006
• M-ambulance announced on April 17, 2006
• To be announced soon
• E-environmental inspection system
• Campus VoIP system

13
Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)
Searching citywide transportation information
(parking/ e-bus/ e-taxi/ speed limits) by PDA or
notebook computer over WLAN.
(http//its.taipei.gov.tw)
14
Wireless Campus

• A total 10,070 APs spread among 240 public
  elementary and high schools.
• Providing RFID Students Security System/ Campus
  VoIP/ M-learning over WLAN.

15
M-medicine

• A Doctor can offer remote treatment over WLAN
  when he is on the road.
• Wi-Fi enabled ambulances

16
Culture Express
PDA access to cultural information and event news
around Taipei.
(http//express.culture.gov.tw)
17

Thank you !

• Welcome to Taipei. Enjoy wireless communication
  with us!

18
Summary

• Niches to develop a wireless broadband network in
  Taipei
• Past efforts to build an information city
• Vision features of the M-Taipei Initiative
• Keys to application services in implementing
  the M-Taipei Initiative

19
Why Taipei? The Opportunities
20
Why Taipei? The Preparedness
21
Taipei Wireless Broadband Task Force

• Dr. Pu-Tsung King
• Deputy Mayor of Taipei

Finance Law Team
Task Force (led by Deputy Mayor coordinates
collaboration among various departments and
agencies takes charge of RDEC.)
Construction Team
Administration Team
Application Service Team
Marketing Team
22
Chronicle of the M-Taipei Initiative

• 2004
• 02/11 The Taipei City Government announced the
  M-Taipei Initiative.
• 05/20 The Taipei City Government signed a
  contract with Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) for its
  consultation.
• 09/07 Q-ware Co., an affiliate of the Uni group,
  was tapped to build the network, and given a nine
  year franchise.
• 09/08 Q-ware Co. and the Taipei City Government
  co-launched the Phase I of network construction.
• 2005
• 01/05 the Phase I construction completed.
• 02/01 Q-ware created WIFLY brand for the WLAN
  network and granted free public access.
• 02/01 the Phase II construction began.
• 11/21 the Phase II construction completed.
• 12/20 Q-ware Co. and the Taipei City Government
  co-announced that Taipei was the worlds largest
  Wi-Fi zone .
• 12/22 the Wireless Broadband Oversight Committee
  ratified the tariffs on WIFLY services.
• 2006
• 01/05 the Phase III construction was began.
• 01/16 Q-ware Co. began collecting low tariffs
  for public use of WIFLY service.
• For details on WIFLY services, please check
  www.wifly.com.tw

23
Key Factors in Success (1)

• Public-Private Partnership
• 1. The City Government is determined to mitigate
  the business and technological risks in the early
  stages of network development.
• ? risk-pooling
• 2. The public-private partnership, therefore,
  insures the private firm from operation
  uncertainty, while retaining flexibility and
  efficiency in growing the market.
• 3. The Taipei City Government granted Q-ware Co.
  the right to install APs in or on all city-owned
  public facilities, including highways, bridges,
  underground tunnels, street lamps, traffic
  lights, schools and so on.

24
Key Factors in Success (2)

• Network Effects
• ? Bundling other network goods to share network
  effects is the strategy.
• 1.With Telecom operators
• (1) SoNet, SeedNet (WISP ISP)
• (2) FET (Wi-Fi GSM 3G)
• 2.With Non-telecom enterprises (brick--mortal
  channel)
• (1) Sided with 826 7-11 convenience stores and
  71 Starbucks, part of Q-wares parent company,
  the Uni group.
• (2) SONY Location Free bundle ? Outdoor
  Location Free TV service
• (3) SONY P.Walker ? PSP M-Service (download
  MP3, films, game news)
• (4) 7-11 MMK ? MMK(Multi Media Kiosk) PDA
  Portal
• (5) Every8D ? cellphone message to NB/ PDAs
  outlook system
• (6) RealMa ? Game download on-line Radio
• (7) Orb ? On-line Cable TV

25
Key Factors in Success (3)

• Downstream market (devices content)
• ? Developing killer devices and application
  services is the strategy.
• 1. Cooperating with the TCA (Taipei Computer
  Association) to set up Wireless Broadband
  Promotion Association ? to form the platform in
  which vendors/ manufacturers can match the
  operators needs.
• 2. Organizing an industrial alliance to
  co-promote Taipei Easy Call
• Joint Plan 1 Integrating government / campus
  VoIP system.
• Joint Plan 2 Integrating all ITSP / VoIP Makers
  System Integration.
• Joint Plan 3 Skype / SIP Interoperability.
• Establishing Wi-Fi phone protocol.
• Based on 180,000 Skype paying users in Taipei ?
  estimate of about 20,000 subscribers by the end
  of 2006.