第三代行動寬頻於後置網路解決方案研究–以台灣民營業者分析

Abstract

科技會創造人們新的使用行為，以往人們對於上網的需求往往侷限於固定式在家庭或網咖中，五年來亦有如GPRS或WiFly等戶外行動上網的技術與服務推展，但由於其提供的速度與穩定度無法全然的到達人們對於行動上網的接受度，故並未創造出成功的商業模式，然而隨著科技的進步，這兩年中第三代行動寬頻的網路逐漸成熟穩定、速度不斷的提升、終端設備售價亦不斷的下修，人們似乎已經嗅出此新科技改變的生活模式，使用的客戶不斷的屢創新高，各電信業者亦紛紛大量投入資金以擴建網路與拓展行銷業務，然而行動上網的費率卻承襲了於固定網路上網中『吃到飽』月租的期望，此現象導致了『量』與『價』的嚴重失衡，此失衡已嚴重的影響既有行動業者的營收，故如何於各方面節省支出以維持高數據量所對於網路成本的控制就是各業者在努力衝刺客戶與維持營收的當務之急。 後置網路（Backhaul；各基地台與機房間傳輸）的成本對於不如中華電信般擁有充沛基礎傳輸建設的民營行動業者而言，無疑是即將失控成本的重要一環，故本研究即是針對此處的解決方案進行一系列的探討與分析。 目前於後置網路中可選用的解決方案初步歸納有『自建網路』、『租用光纖』、『有線電視合作』、『用戶迴路租用』、『微波架設』、『WiMAX技術』與『毫微微蜂巢式基地台商業模式』等，然而各種解決方案必須從法規面、成本面、維運面、附件價值與時效性等面向切入再加上業者本身的資金、策略方向與既有資源等條件加以綜合分析。 行動業者之所以可以在台灣電信民營化開放後成功的崛起，除法規政策鼓勵、用戶需求度高、技術成熟穩定等因素外，很重要的就是行動網路對於既有基礎建設資源的依存度較低，反之對於依存度極高的固網業務來說在中華電信對於用戶迴路的把持下已經成為失敗的案例，然而無線寬頻的需求飛漲加深了行動業者對於其資源的依存度，故首先各民營業者的努力方向應是合作透過法規的力量，迫使既得利益者以合理的方式與價格開放用戶迴路或光纖網路的租用，以免數年後台灣的電信環境又成為一家獨大的局面。 再者對於具經濟規模的業者而言，在數位匯流的趨勢下應積極的與既有有線電視業者合作於共同傳輸網路的建設以加成投資的效益與避免未來合併或合作後的基礎網路資源的浪費，並利用Femtocell等新產品的商業模式試圖降低戶外型資源的需求，而於較不具經濟規模的業者或新業者而言，打破市場傳輸的固定行情絕對是利多，再者就要利用微波與WiMAX等技術針對特殊區域加以運用。 各方案的優劣分析於是以本身對於目前台灣電信產業現況的了解為基礎後收集各方案的技術文獻與分析以了解各技術目前的佈建現況與優缺點，爾後進行產業的現況收集，以確切掌握台灣市場的同業與異業間的發展或各技術於台灣目前的使用，將技術文獻與台灣市場現況收集資料套入交叉分析試圖整理出可行方案的模式，希望可為各行動寬頻業者對於後置網路的解決方案有所助益。

Technology will help create new behavior of utility among human beings, and people who used to surf on network are been confined to home or network coffee-shop. Though there have been outdoor net-surfing technology and service promotion for GPRS or WiFly in the last 5 years, the speed and stability provided can hardly match the needs of user for net-surfing, and it is why it has not yet created successful business model. However, with the advance of technology, the development of 3G mobile broadband network has gradually become matured as the speed is kept upgrading and price-tag of terminal equipment dropping. Users seem to have discovered the life model changed along with the new technology so that the number of users is growing with the new high. Therefore, telecom entrepreneurs have then invested a great deal of capital to expand construction of network and enlarge their marketing business. However, the fee of mobile net-surfing has inherited previous habit and expectation of fixed-rate of “All you can eat,” ending up with serious imbalance between “quantity” and “price,” and the imbalance has seriously affected the income of telecom entrepreneurs. As such, it has become most critical for the control of network cost as how they conserve as much as they can while retaining high volume of data when they are striving wholeheartedly to win over more clients and maintain turnover. For private mobile telecom entrepreneur whose costs of backhaul (transmission between each of the base stations and mainframe room) are found less abundant than Chung Hwa Telecom, given with sufficient fundamental transmission infrastructure, it is, without doubt, that out-of-control cost will become one of the most important links. Thus, this study will focus on such problem for resolution, and conduct a series of investigation and analysis. For the time being, alternatives of resolution for backhaul are preliminarily found with “ Self-built network,” “ Rental optic-fiber,” “ Cooperation with cable TV,” “ Unboundled Local Loop” “ Establishment of microwave,” “ MiWAX technology,” and “ Femtocell business model.” Nonetheless, all of these resolutions have to be dealt from perspective of regulation, cost, maintenance, accessory value, and timeliness and so as background and conditions as capital, strategy, and existing resources of the entrepreneurs for comprehensive analysis. The reason that mobile telecom entrepreneurs is successful after the privatization of telecom in Taiwan, aside from encouragement form legal provisions and regulations, high demand of users, and matured and stable technology, can be largely attributed to the relatively low reliance on existing infrastructure resource. On the contrary, fixed-net business that relies high on existing infrastructure resource has turned into a case of failure as under the monopoly by Chung Hwa Telecom for local loop. However, the demand for wireless broadband has intensified their reliance on such resources, and so the approach of private telecom entrepreneurs should work through the force of regulation for cooperation so as to compel the vested interest can open its subscriber local loop or optic-fiber with reasonable manner and price for rental, helping to avoid the scenario of monopoly for telecom environment in Taiwan years alter. Furthermore, for entrepreneurs with economic scale, they should, under trend of digital convergence, actively work with existing cable TV entrepreneurs on the construction of common transmission so as to multiple their investment benefit and avoid waste of fundamental network resource after future merge or cooperation. Besides, for new entrepreneurs or those that are found with economic scale, it is definite beneficial to them to break loose of fixed rate of market for transmission, and they should, as well, make use of microwave and WiMAX technology to focus on specific area for utilization. The analysis of advantage and disadvantage in this case is based on the understanding of current conditions of telecom industry of Taiwan, and then technical literatures and analysis of various projects are collected to appreciate present deployment situation and their advantages and disadvantages. Next, present status of the industry is garnered so as to well master the development among trade peers and other trades in Taiwan market, or the conditions of utility for each technology as used in Taiwan for now. Afterwards, technical literatures and the collected information regarding current status of Taiwan market can be placed for cross-analysis, attempting to find the model of feasible project can obtained, and it is hoped that it can benefit the resolution of backhaul for each of the mobile broadband entrepreneurs.