FarEasTone (FET) has taken a major step in exporting its telemedicine capabilities abroad, announcing on Dec. 8 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwan's Teleport Access Services and Indonesia's state-owned satellite operator Telkomsat. The three parties will jointly develop satellite-based telemedicine services aimed at remote and underserved communities across Indonesia's far-flung islands.
With the 3GPP Release 19 standard nearing its freeze and SpaceX's Starship poised to slash launch costs, direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communication is emerging as the telecom industry's next major arena of competition.
The DIGITIMES Tech Forum 2026 opened on December 3, with DIGITIMES senior analyst Benson Wu saying that the lack of breakthrough 5G applications has made operators cautious about next-generation infrastructure investment, yet Agentic AI services may become the catalyst that re-energises 6G development and drives new demand for future communications networks.
Kyocera has abandoned its bid to enter the 5G base-station market, shelving a plan it once hoped would help Japan reclaim a foothold in critical communications infrastructure. The company had previously announced a target of commercial deployment by 2027, but ultimately concluded that global competition is too fierce to ensure a viable return.
Taipei Computer Association (TCA) announced on December 1 the establishment of the Taiwan NextGen Communications Alliance (TNGCA), a cross-industry coalition uniting the nation's telecom operators, electronics manufacturers, and systems-integration firms to strengthen Taiwan's position in next-generation communications.
Following the lead of China, the European Union (EU), and South Korea, Japan has unveiled plans to build its own long-distance quantum communication network. The first phase will link the country's three major cities—Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka—covering a distance of 600 kilometers. Construction is expected to be completed by early 2027, with field testing planned later that year. The initial rollout will focus on sectors where confidentiality is critical, such as healthcare and finance, to establish a Japan-specific quantum communication standard by 2030.
Chunghwa Telecom (CHT), Japan's Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), Taiwan-based Accton, and its subsidiary Edgecore Networks jointly showcased their first collaborative achievement: distributed AI data-center technology, on November 20 at the NTT R&D Forum 2025 in Tokyo.
Veon's move into satellite-powered mobile services began during the Russia-Ukraine war, when its Ukrainian unit Kyivstar relied on Starlink's orbital network to restore connectivity after Russian attacks damaged cellular infrastructure.
As low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite networks move from development into full commercial deployment, major operators are racing to expand and secure their global supply chains. Among them, Eutelsat OneWeb is deepening its footprint in Taiwan, now treating the island as an essential pillar of its worldwide ecosystem.
