Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) has called on the Taiwan government to build low-altitude communications into national critical infrastructure planning as drones move toward beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and large-scale operations for defense, disaster relief, logistics, and infrastructure inspections.
CHT, the largest telecom carrier in Taiwan, said communication links are key infrastructure that enables unmanned vehicles to function effectively, and that core components such as flight control, communications, and navigation are closely tied to national security and cybersecurity.
In a written report submitted to Taiwan's parliament on July 23, CHT said the government should include low-altitude communications networks in a dedicated law, and integrate 4G, 5G, private networks, and satellite communications to create a highly-reliable environment with backup capacity. It also urged that this be folded into the overall planning of national critical infrastructure.
Spectrum and public-safety channels
The company also recommended incorporating spectrum management into the broader system design. As large numbers of drones will operate at the same time in the future, they will inevitably require control links, video uplinks, positioning, and data exchange.
Drawing on international public protection and disaster relief (PPDR) development models, CHT said drones used for public safety, disaster response, and defense support should be assigned a dedicated spectrum. It proposed building drone-specific PPDR channels, along with priority communications and backup mechanisms, to ensure reliability during critical missions.
The company also called for interference management and cybersecurity safeguards to protect flight safety and the public interest.
UTM platform push
CHT said Taiwan should also advance a nationwide low-altitude airspace unmanned traffic management (UTM) platform.
As drone numbers rise sharply, the company said Taiwan will need a digital platform similar to a traffic management system. It urged the relevant authorities to integrate civil aviation, communications, cybersecurity, and national defense requirements into a unified national platform that would combine flight management, remote identification, real-time monitoring, and data governance.
CHT said such a system would be a key foundation for the future low-altitude economy and large-scale drone operations.
Building resilience
The company said international experience in recent years shows drones are useful not only for defense, but also for disaster response, communications in remote areas, and emergency rescue.
It added that telecom operators should invest in low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites, disaster response communications, and mobile base station readiness, while combining those capabilities with drone platforms to strengthen communications resilience in remote areas, disaster zones, and emergency response settings.
CHT said Taiwan needs a drone ecosystem that combines defense self-reliance, industrial development, international alignment, and national resilience, in order to boost the country's overall defense resilience and low-altitude economy capacity.
Article translated by Rodney Chan and edited by Ysi Chen
