On September 29th during the 2016 Taipei 5G/Internet of Things (IoT) Summit, Taiwan Association of Information and Communication Standards (TAICS) and the US Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) signed a letter of intent that joins Taiwan and the US for collaborative development of 5G networks and standards. The coalition of Taiwan and the US gives Taiwan access to participate in the Obama administration’s Advanced Wireless Research Initiative. The National Science Foundation-led Initiative aims to develop the next generation of wireless technology by bringing four US cities (yet to be selected) as testing platforms for research and studies.
5G networks, although not yet standardized, are set to arrive around 2020. The primary goal of the development of 5G is to increase bandwidth and lower latency, and 5G will be implemented in technologies such as virtual-reality systems and autonomous driving. With the ever-demanding usage of data, 5G is designed to meet the increasing traffic demands while remaining cost effective and energy efficient.
Taiwan’s participation in the Advanced Wireless Research Initiative could give ground to a greater presence in the US high-tech sector for Taiwanese companies. Some of TAICS’ 106 members, such as ACER Incorporated and HTC Corporation, are among the largest corporations in the tech-field. According to the White House, HTC will provide its technical expertise, mobile devices, IoT sensors, and virtual reality systems to support the four city testing platforms.
There are more than 300 members in the TIA, including multinational tech corporations such as Qualcomm Incorporated and Intel Corporation. Both headquartered in California, Qualcomm had more than 15,000 employees as of May, 2015 in San Diego, and Intel, the largest employer in Santa Clara, has more than 7,000 employees at its headquarters. As the bilateral cooperation proceeds, these companies are able to facilitate exchanges of ideas and technologies.
For decades Taiwan has been an important partner to the US as a leader in technological innovation. In partnership with the Taiwanese government, Microsoft will make Taipei its first site in Asia for the Microsoft IoT Innovation Center. The Center will be a platform for Taiwanese IoT companies to integrate into the global IoT supply chain, according to the Deputy Minister of Ministry of Economic Affairs. In June 2016, Taiwan and the US signed an agreement seeking to enhance cybersecurity capabilities and cooperation on both sides.
Chien-Chou “Antonio” Liao is a Research Intern at the East-West Center in Washington and a recent graduate of American University’s School of International Service.
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台灣資通產業標準協會（TAICS）與美國電信產業協會（TIA）於九月二十九日在台北2016 Taipei 5G/Internet of Things (IoT) Summit簽署一份針對聯合研發及標準化5G通訊的合作意向書。此次台美合作象徵著台灣將加入美國總統歐巴馬所提出的「先進無線技術研發倡議(Advanced Wireless Research Initiative； AWRI)」。該項由美國國家科學基金會(National Science Foundation)所領導的倡議旨在運用四座美國城市(尚待決定)做為測試基地進行新一代5G無線通訊科技。
儘管5G通訊系統尚未被標準化，該系統預計將於2020年左右問世。屆時，5G通訊將會將增大頻寬並縮小延遲，該項技術也將被運用於如自動駕駛及虛擬實境(VR)等新興科技中。5G通訊的研發也將不僅僅是為了應付現時極大的數據流量及對其需求，在此同時也將維持成本及能源效益。
由於台灣在「先進無線技術研發倡議」上的參與，台灣企業於美國高科技市場的角色也將更趨於活躍。在台灣資通產業標準協會106個會員之中，許多企業更是國際高科技市場業者，例如宏碁及宏達電。據美國白宮發出的新聞稿，宏達電將為四座美國5G測試城市提供物聯網感應機具，虛擬實境系統，行動裝置及技術方面的支援。
目前美國電信產業協會(TIA)由超過300間企業所組成，其中包括高通及Intel等跨國科技公司。在高通總部所座落的加州聖地亞哥地區，高通於2015年5月時於當地擁有超過一萬五千名雇員。同樣座落於加州，Intel位於聖塔克拉拉市的總部則擁有超過七千名雇員。在此次雙邊合作的推進下，這些企業將促進更多技術及概念的交流。
多年以來，台灣在科技產業創新上的領頭羊也是美國重要的科技伙伴。美國微軟公司在近年也與台灣政府積極合作並於台北市創立了亞洲首座「微軟物聯網創新中心」。根據台灣經濟部副部長的致詞，該中心也將做為台灣科技公司前進國際物聯網市場的平台。再者，台灣於今年六月與美國簽署一項針對加強網路安全合作及能力的協議。
廖建州目前是位於華盛頓特區東西方中心的實習生，並畢業於美利堅大學。