中小型企業經營社區寬頻網路之策略發展與商機

Abstract

隨著全球通訊產業快速的發展，寬頻應用及無線網路技術的不斷創新突破，台灣的通訊暨網際網路相關的產業，近年來與全球各國通訊產業的發展與表現對照，是相對亮眼的。由於台灣已是全球通訊產業最蓬勃發展的區域之一，不論是有線通訊、無線通訊或是網際網路的普及率均相當高。根據Gartner的資料顯示，截至2007年為止，台灣家戶寬頻連網比例已達到59%，排名世界第六； Gartner預估到了2012年，台灣家戶寬頻連網的比例將到達74%。根據台灣網路資訊中心(TWNIC)於2009.02.18公布「台灣寬頻網路使用調查」報告，截至2009.01.03，台灣上網人口已達1580萬/2294萬，上網率約68.94%；而12歲以上曾經上網人數約為1419萬/2000萬，上網率約70.95%、曾經使用過寬頻網路人數約為1330萬/2000萬，寬頻使用普及率約為66.5%。對通訊服務而言，朝向電信、電腦、媒體產業的整合發展已儼然成形，Quadruple-Play (e.g.：寬頻的 - 語音、數據通訊、影音視訊內容、網際網路服務無線化) 將會是該產業發展的潮流趨勢。 自1997年台灣電信自由化後，隨著政府國家通訊政策規劃發展、致力於通訊與網際網路產業(包含工業與服務業)的推動，許多中小型網路接續服務業者看準在未來社區寬頻網路服務的經營商機，紛紛如雨後春筍般的轉型經營ISP寬頻接取服務。而國內集團型的行動通訊業者、固定通訊業者、有線電視業者與大型ISP業者也因市場趨勢與技術突破，陸續推出寬頻網路的服務，但因關鍵資源的限制與不足，而各家業者都有不同合縱連橫之經營策略發展。固定通訊業者仍是以中華電信獨大；行動通訊業者則形成三大兩小之勢，有線電視業者在區域整合後，雖仍存有獨立經營業者，但趨勢也走向五大MSO鼎立之路；ISP業者在我國寬頻上網仍以ADSL為主流的環境下，亦與固定通訊產業的發展類似，以中華電信HiNet獨大。而這些中小型經營社區寬頻網路服務的企業，經歷了2000年初網路泡沫化的衝擊與產業內部嚴酷的競爭，七成以上的業者早已玩完或被併購，兩成以上的業者仍在茍延殘喘尚未實質獲利，但仍有不到一成的中小型經營社區寬頻網路服務的業者能從大型集團企業環伺產業，競爭者兼關鍵資源提供者的惡劣競爭環境中，利用產業特性、與業者間的競合及其差異化的企業經營，專注主要客群，彈性定價策略，從競爭的夾縫中使本業經營轉危為安、落於不敗，更能利用網路剩餘價值再創造相關多角化綜效的經營契機。 本研究以中小型企業經營社區寬頻網路服務的利基為主題，以賽局理論的觀點探討產業同業間策略選擇與競合，中小型企業ISP業者如何能藉由本身明確的產業特性分析、企業定位與客戶價值主張、經營策略、組織變革，及卓越的核心競爭力與貼近人性的客戶關係維繫等，從強敵環繞的產業逆境中突破損益平衡點持續成長獲利，從潮流趨勢中再找出下一個發展的相關多角化商機。

With rapid growth in Communication industries all over the world, come continuous innovations and breakthroughs in broadband applications and wireless technology. In recent years, Communication and Internet-related industries in Taiwan stand out in comparison with the same industry discipline from countries all over the world. Taiwan, having been one of the regions with the most prosperous Communication industry, is highly popularized in all wired communication business, wireless communication business, and internet business. According to the statistic shown by Gartner’s report, up until the year of 2007, the proportion of households with Broadband Internet has reached 59%, ranking number 6 in the world; Gartner estimated that by the year of 2012, the same number is going to rise to 74%. According to「Taiwan Broadband Internet Usage Survey」released by TWNIC in 2009.02.18, by 2009.01.03, the total number of people that have access to Internet has reached 15.8 millions and Internet accessing rate is about 68.94%; The number of Broadband Internet users is 13.3 millions and popularization rate is about 66.5%. Considering the future direction of communication service, a development plan aiming toward integration of Communication, Computers, and Multimedia industries has started to take shape. Quadruple-Play (e.g: Broadband – Voices, Digital Communication, Multimedia Content, Internet on Mobile) is going to be the future trend of this industry. Since the liberalization of telecommunication in Taiwan during the year of 1997, with the government aided, national development policy that is dedicated to promoting Communication and Internet industry (including manufacturing industry and service industry), many medium-to-small sized internet dialing connection service providers have transformed into Broadband access ISPs after recognizing the potential business opportunities that lies in Community Broadband Network services. Domestic group-style Mobile operators, Fixed Telecommunications Service providers, Cable Television operators and major ISPs have also been coming up with new broadband internet services policies one after another in response to the markets’ trends and new technology breakthroughs in this field. However, due to the limitation and lack of key resources, as well as the different cooperating and business strategies that each group-style enterprises has taken, ChungHwa Telecom is still in the monopoly position among Fixed Telecommunications Service providers; On the other hand, the situation for Mobile operators is three dominant companies verses two minor companies. For Cable Television Service providers, although independent providers still exist after regional integration, the overall situation is still leaning toward the 5 MSOs dominating the market. For broadband ISPs, the situation is much similar to that of Fixed Telecommunications; in the environment with ADSL being the mainstream, ChungHua Telecom’s HiNet stands as the monopoly of this field. Whereas for other middle-to-small companies that provide Community Broadband Network Service, after the damage caused by the bubble burst in the beginning of 2000 and fierce internal competition between the same business discipline, more than 70 percent of which have run out of business or have been taken over by other bigger companies, and more than 20 percent of which that are barely surviving have not been making real profit either. However, provided the tough environment full of competitors and resource holders, there is still less than 10 percent medium-to-small Community Broadband Network Service providers that managed to stand out and make profit by taking variety of strategies, ranging from taking advantage of the characteristic of the industry, business management incorporating inter-company co-operative competition and differentiation, focusing on specific customer groups, applying flexible pricing policies; all these strategies have not only helped these smaller companies overcome the fierce competition presented, stabilized their profits and secured their survivals, but also efficiently made use of the surplus value of the Internet and created even more relative diversification and potential supplemental business opportunities. The main theme of this research focuses on the niche of medium-to-small Community Broadband Network Service providers. Based on the Game Theory’s perspective, we will analyze different business strategy decisions while facing co-operative competition opportunities with other companies within the same business disciplines. We will also talk about, in an adversity full of strong competitors, how could a medium-to-small ISP, through precise analysis of its own industrial strengths and traits, locating its enterprise position and customer value perspective, business strategies, organization transformation, outstanding core competence and humanistic customer relationship management, etc. break through the breakeven point and continue to grow and profit, as well as to create more relative diversification business opportunities based on the current trend.