The Ministry of Digital Affairs said Tuesday that Taiwan has not set dates or auction rules for future 6G spectrum, pushing back on reports that regulators would split 700-megahertz, 900-megahertz and 1.8-gigahertz renewals from later 2.1-gigahertz and 2.6-gigahertz bands in mandatory competitive bidding.
Speaking after a week of trade-press speculation, a ministry spokesperson said planners are still inventorying how much mid-band capacity carriers need for fixed-wireless and private-network trials. Taiwan’s three major operators hold 5G licences that run for years, but several legacy frequency assignments begin expiring in the 2030 window that industry groups label the 6G planning cycle.
Why carriers care now
Executives at Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone told investors on recent calls that they want clarity before budgeting base-station swaps. Equipment vendors are pitching upper 6-gigahertz and 4.7-to-5-gigahertz pilots, yet the ministry said those bands are only under study and could shift after international coordination.
The National Communications Commission must still publish implementation rules for satellite-terrestrial operators under July’s telecom law amendments—a separate track from 6G terrestrial planning. Digital Affairs Minister Lin Yi-ching has argued that Taiwan should align any 6G award with open-radio-access-network tests funded under the Ten AI Initiatives plan.
Data transparency push
MODA’s open-data portal lists mobile-frequency holdings by carrier, updated in June, and officials promised a public consultation before cabinet signs off on an auction framework. Consumer advocates asked the ministry to model how split renewals might affect prepaid pricing, noting that previous 5G awards raised billions in licence fees that carriers later cited when hiking postpaid plans.
No filing deadline means tower crews still optimize 5G, not 6G. Field engineers said they continue densifying 3.5-gigahertz urban cells while testing millimeter-wave backhaul for stadiums, leaving 6G lab work to academia and the Taiwan Space Agency’s low-earth-orbit partnerships.
What comes next
Lawmakers on the Transportation Committee scheduled briefings with NCC acting chair Chen Chung-shu for later in October. Until then, ministry statements remain the only official word: spectrum politics is moving, but the calendar is not.
Rural coverage angle
Indigenous community broadband advocates asked whether any 6G award would include coverage mandates for mountain townships currently served only by microwave backhaul, a question the ministry said will be part of the public consultation.