有線電視系統經營區擴大是否增加跨區競爭的可能？

Can the Adjustment of Cable Television Franchise Areas Increase the Intensity of Competition?

台灣有線電視系統大多是一區一家獨占，少部分是一區兩家競爭，因此主管機關計劃將目前有線電視系統的51個經營區，逐年合併以增加經濟規模，讓業者願意互跨市場，消費者可以有更多選擇。本研究透過深度訪談10位有線電視獨立與集團系統，結果發現幾乎所有業者均不同意在九年執照到期前，改變現有的經營區大小，主要原因是擔心將衝擊目前有線電視的競爭平衡，影響收視戶數與財務營收計劃，而由於過高的管線沈沒投資成本，除了人口比較密集的都會地區外，未來也不會考慮跨入其他業者的經營區域。因此，分區擴大後並不會增加新的家數，MSOs集團反而會更進一步併購獨立業者，形成更大的壟斷系統，主管機關應該思考既有第二條電話線纜的MOD電信加值服務，如果能夠獲得相對的節目頻道內容，才可能是未來有線電視直接的競爭對手。

Because most of the cable systems are monopoly in Taiwan, the National Communications Commission (NCC) is going to expand the scale of franchise areas to increase intensity of the competition among systems. This research interviewed ten managers of the independent and conglomerate cable systems. It found that most of the cable systems did not agree to adjust the current franchise areas, even the conglomerate in the short time, because they were afraid of new entrants competing with the limited subscribers. Since, this policy may make more merger & acquisition and create bigger cable conglomerates, instead of competition. Therefore, the future competition of cable television systems will come from the multimedia value added services of the existing telephone providers, if those telecommunications can have enough programming contents to compete with the cable conglomerates.