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Aug 10
FCC 26-50 extends US tech controls to chips, optical transceivers and supply-chain origins

US technology controls are reaching deeper into communications supply chains. Under FCC 26-50, the Federal Communications Commission no longer focuses only on brands or final assembly. Its emerging framework now extends to chips, modules, software, firmware, design ownership, production location and supply-chain control, raising new compliance risks for optical transceivers, networking equipment and ODM suppliers.

Taiwan telecom trio posts strong July on 5G, roaming, AI gains
Aug 11, 15:55

Taiwan's three major telecom operators — Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone Telecommunications — all reported strong July 2026 results, with revenue and profit supported by seasonal roaming demand, 5G upgrade plans and resilient handset sales. The operators said July marked a record period for several key metrics, while AI-related demand in enterprise and infrastructure businesses provided an additional growth driver.

Google has officially announced that it will unveil its annual Pixel 11 flagship smartphone series on August 13, 2026, with the lineup expected to include the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. As generative AI adoption accelerates and shortages and price increases hit key upstream smartphone components, investors and the market are closely watching how Google will use AI to boost sales and hardware momentum.

As supply chain turbulence is easing, network equipment makers are starting to report better revenues. Gemtek Technology and CyberTAN both saw year-over-year revenue growth turn positive in July. However, the memory price rally continues to cloud the outlook for the second half of the year, keeping customers cautious on costs and inventory management.
TSMC affiliate VisEra scales AI optics with 1.6T silicon photonics
Aug 11, 06:52
VisEra, the TSMC-affiliated optical components supplier, is expanding into AI optical interconnects and silicon photonics, with its MicroLens products for 800G pluggable transceivers already in mass production and its next-generation PIC thin-film processes for 1.6T products targeted to begin gradual volume production by the end of 2026. A high-density optical coupling platform is planned for mass production in the second half of 2027.
Highpoint Service Network approved its second-quarter 2026 financial report on August 5, posting record revenue for both the quarter and the first half as it expanded in the Asia-Pacific and launched operations in India. The Taiwan-based service provider reported consolidated revenue of NT$375 million, net profit after tax of NT$8.38 million, and earnings per share (EPS) of NT$0.46 for the quarter.
Sercomm Corporation reported July revenue of NT$7.98 billion, up 51% from a year earlier and a new monthly high, as rising AI adoption continued to drive network traffic and equipment upgrade demand. Revenue for the first seven months reached NT$45.24 billion, also a record and up 57% year-over-year.
Taiwan's Development of Cultural and Creative Industries Act has formally designated the film and TV industry as one of the island's national strategic industries. Companies investing in the sector are eligible for tax credits, while film and television productions may also apply for investment from Taiwan's National Development Fund (NDF).

Elon Musk's ambitions across AI, robotics and space infrastructure are moving into a new phase following the unveiling of Terafab, an ambitious semiconductor manufacturing complex designed to secure the compute capacity required by Tesla, SpaceX and xAI.

Apple and its manufacturing partners are rushing to secure mobile DRAM ahead of the expected launch of the iPhone 18 lineup, as about US$1 billion worth of next-generation processors reportedly remain unable to move into packaging without sufficient memory supply.

On August 5, Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council said it had completed the central government's 2027 budget plan, with NT$182.3 billion (US$5.7 billion) earmarked for technology spending, up about 9.5% from 2026. The biggest increase goes to sovereign AI computing power and infrastructure as Taipei pushes ahead with its Smart Nation 2.0 initiative.

China smartphone shipments fell 5.5% year-over-year in the first half of 2026 even as 5G handset shipments rose 1.7%, according to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT). The shift came as Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi cut lower-end models amid higher memory and other upstream component costs, pushing 5G devices to 92% of total shipments.