Taiwan advances telecom law changes that could clear a path for Starlink

Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan has moved a proposed amendment to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act through committee review, a step widely seen as opening the door for international satellite communications operators such as SpaceX’s Starlink. The draft would let regulators approve satellite network applicants on a case-by-case basis without applying current rules that require a Republic of China national as the responsible person and cap direct foreign ownership at 49% and combined ownership at 60%. The proposal still requires strict review covering national security, public telecom network security, telecom resource usage, overall network planning, industry and service market development, and public interest needs. Taiwan’s three major telecom operators — Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone — said they respect and support the direction of the amendment, while stressing the need for safeguards around national security, data sovereignty and local oversight. The Taiwan Communications Society urged policymakers to study Japan’s approach, where KDDI, NTT DOCOMO and SoftBank have worked with Starlink on direct-to-cell satellite services under conditional and phased supervision. The policy debate has also spilled into the local supply chain: D-Link recently confirmed an order tied to Starlink’s low-earth-orbit network infrastructure, with shipments expected to begin in September.