Smart City Revolution: Far EasTone Powers Taiwan with IoT

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — As cities worldwide embrace smart technology, Taiwanese telecom companies are at the forefront of integrating millions of smart devices to redefine urban living. Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. (遠傳電信) is leading the charge, utilizing Internet of Things (IoT) and big data to tackle traffic congestion and energy consumption, according to Far EasTone President Chee Ching (井琪).

"Far EasTone is a telecom company, so having this connectivity is our advantage, right? And that's really our core competence," Chee told TVBS World Taiwan. "IoT definitely is what we establish ourselves as the core technology. And, on top of it, once you have things connected, you collect the data, and the data provides insight for us to do big data analytics. And then with that, you can enable AI on it."

From Enhancing Public Transportation to Tackling Energy Efficiency
Through partnerships with local governments and private sectors, Far EasTone is enhancing public transportation and boosting energy efficiency. One example is a project deployed on Taipei's Civic Boulevard and Jianguo Elevated Road, using AI-enhanced CCTV cameras to detect traffic congestion caused by accidents and alert the appropriate departments for swift action.

Far EasTone's smart city initiatives extend beyond traffic management. The company has connected nearly 100,000 street lights, monitoring their performance and optimizing lighting schedules based on different time zones and health indicators.

"To talk about big data, you start with Internet of Things, that's the IoT. You connect them together and you collect the data and then those data give you the insight of how things are doing," Ching explained. "When we look at IoT, we look at how we monitor if they are all performing as expected."

Internally, Far EasTone is also focused on reducing its carbon footprint, with 75% of its emissions coming from radio base stations. By implementing AI optimization and putting cell stations into sleep mode during low traffic times, the company aims to control its annual carbon emission of 225,000 tons.

Commitment to ESG Principles
Far EasTone's commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles is central to its smart city strategy. By incorporating these principles into daily operations and business decisions, the company aims to create cities that are both smart and equitable.

"ESG, to me, it's really what you have to incorporate into your daily operations and your business," Ching said. "We're lucky. Like I said when we started this like six years ago, our new economy, we focus on the smart ICT and a lot of those solutions happen to be in the smart city areas. And, then they are all about kind of like energy, conservation."

Looking ahead, Ching highlighted challenges such as integrating diverse technologies and ensuring data security. However, she sees significant opportunities to improve public health and safety solutions as urban areas evolve. With its commitment to continuous innovation and adapting strategies to meet urban demands, Far EasTone is poised to lead sustainable urban development in Taiwan and beyond.