Northeast Asia’s tallest and most stunning base station has officially launched. The National Communications Commission (NCC) today (2nd) held the inauguration ceremony for the “Yushan North Peak Disaster Relief Mobile Communication Service Base Station,” which took seven years to complete at a cost of NT$40 million, jointly constructed by Taiwan’s three major telecom operators. During the construction process, engineers hiked up and down the mountain 902 times carrying equipment weighing over 24 metric tons in total. This will benefit nearly 50,000 annual hikers reaching Yushan’s summit and enhance disaster response capabilities in the surrounding areas.
NCC Acting Chairperson Chen Yaohsiang stated that the Yushan North Peak base station is located at an altitude of 3,844.5 meters, making it the highest mobile communication base station not only in Taiwan but across all of Northeast Asia. It provides signal coverage within a 15-kilometer radius, including Yushan North Peak, Yushan Main Peak, and Yushan East Peak, ensuring connectivity for the nearly 50,000 annual hikers and residents in remote surrounding areas. It also significantly improves overall disaster prevention and relief capabilities.
Representatives from the three major telecoms—Chunghwa Telecom Chairman Hsieh Chi-mao, Taiwan Mobile CTO Kuo Yu-tai, and Far EasTone Executive Vice President Rao Zhonghua—along with five NCC commissioners and officials from partner agencies, attended the ceremony. Tsung Ming-shan, Director of Yushan National Park Administration under the Ministry of the Interior’s Construction and Planning Agency, even joked that there are still many areas on Yushan with weak communication signals. He noted that the park administration has already identified suitable locations and hopes the base station construction will continue.
The NCC said the Yushan North Peak base station was jointly built by Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and Far EasTone, along with microwave transmission links constructed together with Taiwan Star Telecom and Asia Pacific Telecom. It was finally completed on June 6 this year. The power supply is entirely provided by self-built solar panels and energy storage facilities, using 84 solar panels and 72 lead-acid batteries to power the base station, with microwave transmission sending signals down the mountain.
The NCC pointed out that since 2011, it has implemented the policy “Improving Mobile Communication Infrastructure Accessibility in National Parks.” In March 2012, planning and construction of the Yushan North Peak base station began. Coordination was carried out with the Yushan National Park Administration under the Ministry of the Interior’s Construction and Planning Agency, the Forestry Bureau’s Chiayi Forest District Office under the Council of Agriculture, the Experimental Forest of National Taiwan University, the Central Weather Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Nantou County Government, and telecom operators. The process involved 58 coordination meetings and multiple on-site inspections.
Due to the rugged terrain, equipment and materials could only be delivered to the Yushan trailhead. Engineers had to carry the gear up the mountain on foot, totaling 902 manpower deployments and transporting 23,683 kilograms. They overcame risks posed by terrain, geology, and weather conditions, at a cost of more than NT$40 million.
Kuo Yu-tai said the Yushan North Peak base station can support over 300 terminal devices connected simultaneously, with internet speeds reaching 50 Mbps. While prioritizing emergency calls, the remaining bandwidth is sufficient for using messaging apps or checking in online. In addition, Taiwan Mobile conducts equipment inspections every six months, still relying on manual labor for high-altitude operations, with each round taking three to four days to ensure stable base station operation.
(China Times)