台灣下一代行動通訊產業發展策略暨專利技術之探討

Abstract

隨著全球電信自由化，行動通訊歷經第一代類比語音線路通訊，第二代數位語音線路通訊，第二點五代加入小量數據的封包傳輸，目前已正式進入第三代行動通訊，強調結合「語音＋數據」，使用線路交換的語音通訊，及封包交換的高速率寬頻數據傳輸。但由於第三代行動通訊發展緩慢，成本高昂，致使整體3G市場的發展不如預期順利；為了改善傳輸速率、價格等問題，國際間已經開始著手下一代行動通訊技術發展，朝向「語音＋數據」皆使用封包交換之通訊方式。 我國行動通訊發展起步晚，未能參與國際標準制訂過程，無法掌握關鍵專利技術，因此多以ODM/OEM代工為主。本論文希望藉由全球行動通訊市場現況及趨勢、下一代行動通訊技術之發展、台灣行動通訊產業發展現況等，以行動電信服務面及製造面兩大方向，透過產業鏈各廠商發展及國家競爭優劣勢，探究台灣行動電信服務業者在下一代行動通訊時代，如何因應未來；以及台灣行動電信製造商在下一代行動通訊技術中，有何切入角度及發展空間。 透過本論文研究得知，我國電信服務業者在下一代行動通訊時代，必須面臨語音通訊費率持續下降，封包傳輸以包月計價，語音收入不再是營收主要來源之困難；雖然加強推動加值型服務，但未來頻寬大、傳輸速率快，所有網路業者都是加值型服務之競爭對手，如何與之競爭，將是一大問題。可預期的是行動電話語音營收市場會日益趨緩甚至出現負成長的狀況；無法因應新局勢之業者，恐將面臨縮編、併購、或退出市場之危機，能思考新出路的業者，或許能以現有客戶資源，將營運重心跨足其他市場。 而我國行動通訊製造商在近幾年努力下，除以往中低階手機代工模式外，已發展出許多競爭優勢，並在政府輔助下建立WiMAX產業鏈雛形，朝向B3G邁進。在下一代行動通訊以IP-based 的核心網路發展上，本論文建議我國行動電信製造商：（一）除利用現有晶圓代工產業水平分工獨特模式，及手機終端設備IC設計之技術優勢，持續推動手機晶片研發，並加強基地台、系統整合方面之技術，朝向整廠輸出之發展方向；（二）以我國Windows Mobile生產優勢，強力提昇Smartphone佔有率及擴大國際市場；（三）ODM/OEM應繼續拓展外銷市場，開拓新客源；（四）加強延伸品牌優勢，提昇獲利空間；（五）B3G以IP-based為基礎，藉由我國在Internet產業相對優勢，延伸發展下一代行動通訊技術。 由於現今行動通訊專利技術多掌握在歐美日大廠手中，我國生產製造無可避免被收取高額權利金，針對我國政府方面，本論文認為在下一代行動通訊技術尚無突破性專利技術、各國正努力發展的此時，我國政府應正視專利權之問題，藉由政策輔導，整合產業、學界等共同努力，積極參加國際標準會議，並分析專利現況及專利佈局，尋找新的技術切入點，增加專利權掌握度，方能有效提昇我國行動通訊設備之國際市場競爭力。

Since global telecommunication is liberalized, mobile communication has been transferred from 1G (analog voice transfer via circuit-switch), 2G (digital voice transfer via circuit-switch), 2.5G (plus with data transfer via packet-switch), to nowadays 3G (which emphasizes voice and data communication; voice is transferred by circuit-switch and high-speed data is transferred in broadband by packet-switch). The development of 3G is slowly and the cost is expensive, so the market expands unsmoothly. To improve the transfer rate and cost, the B3G technology has begun developing and being studied worldwide toward a combination of voice and data transfer via pure packet-switch. Development of mobile communication industry started late in Taiwan. Owing to not attending the process of related international standard definition, which results in lack of essential IPs or critical techniques for local companies, most of Taiwan’s manufacturers can only do as ODM/OEM mainly. Through understanding the current situation and trend of international mobile communication market, the B3G’s technology, and the latest status of mobile communication industry development in Taiwan., the purpose of this study is to help, when B3G comes, Taiwan’s mobile communication operators and manufactures on how to face the situation and to develop the industry accordingly, by analyzing the industry chain and national competitive advantages and disadvantages. The results of this study briefly indicates that, in the age of B3G, Taiwan’s mobile communication operators will face the situation that voice fares will drop continuously, a flat fee charging system will be applied for all packet switch services, and voice income will be no longer the main profit source. Although any possible value-added service continues to be developed and enhanced by current operators, the B3G’s characteristic: broadband and higher transferring rate, will lead all internet operators into this competitive market. As voice income falls, it is estimated some operators without enough innovation talents may be forced to reduce the staff, be merged, or even be terminated, while some others survived may diversify into other potential market by using its own customer resources. Except following by traditional low-end or middle-end cell phones OEM/ODM in the past, Taiwan’s mobile communication manufactures have developed many competitive advantages, and established the industry chain on WiMAX technology, stepping toward B3G, by the government’s assistance in recent years. Since B3G is purely founded on IP-based core network, the study concludes some suggestions for Taiwan’s manufacturers as follows: (1) except keeping on handset IC development, to endeavor researching and developing the related techniques about base station and system equipment in order to step toward a whole-system output by using our current advantages of fully parallel labor-divided semiconductor-outsourcing industry and IC design knowledge of mobile handsets; (2) to improve Smartphone market share and to expand international market based on our competitive advantages of Windows Mobile technology; (3) as ODM/OEM, to expand export market and to explore new customers; (4) to enhance brand extension for profit increase; (5) by using our comparative competitive advantages of Internet industry, to develop techniques of B3G, which is based on pure-IP. Because European, American and Japanese firms own most proprietaries of the essential IPs about mobile communication, our manufactures are inevitably charged for expensive royalties. As for the government, since no innovative technology for B3G has appeared, Taiwan’s government should take the patent problem seriously, and cooperate with the manufacturers and academia to actively attend the conference of related international standards definition, analyze the patent ownership situation, and seek for new opportunities to develop our own innovative intellectual properties so as to improve our competitive advantages in the international market.