偏遠等於邊緣？不經濟地區數位匯流之實證研究

Remote Equal Edge? Study of Digital Convergence Policy Performance in Economically Disadvantaged Areas

政府為增進國民基本通信權益，使全體國民可依合理價格公平地享有一定品質之必要電信服務，國家通訊傳播委員會指定相關業者配合政策，提供民眾寬頻上網服務，逐年提升偏鄉村里數據通信接取普及服務品質。以往關於數位落差的討論，較聚焦於全體國民在網際網路、硬體設備的使用，比較缺乏對於不經濟地區民眾在數位匯流工具使用現況。此外，不經濟地區電信普及政策成效，多以頻寬、覆蓋率為主要指標，缺乏對於政策對象在資訊素養、政策認知的意見蒐集，不易釐清問題原因。
為此，本研究實證評估不經濟地區民眾在網絡、電腦與數位工具的普及程度、資訊素養與應用。研究發現不經濟地區民眾已進入數位匯流工具的使用，惟個人社會經濟背景差異造成的不同匯流工具使用的差距。建議政府可從數位匯流的觀點重新思考電信普及服務的意涵，納入相關單位一起協同推動，例如針對不經濟地區的社會經濟背景較為弱勢的民眾提供電信普及服務的補助，或是將普及服務的意涵擴充到供給至特殊身分的對象。

In order to promote the basic communication rights of citizens and ensure everyone is able to enjoy a standardized level of telecommunication service at a fair price, the National Communications Commission (NCC) actively promoted a telecommunications policy that ensured universal service. The NCC enlisted the services of four major telecommunications companies to provide universal telecommunications services (including services pertaining to both voice and data communications), and to gradually improve the universal digital telecommunications services of 721 villages in 82 townships (town, city, and districts). Their goals are to increase basic broadband speed from 2 Mbps (megabits per second)to
over 12 Mbps, to increase broadband speed for over 75% of users in rural townships, and to
ensure that 90% of Aboriginal villages have a broadband speed of 12 Mbps.
Previous debates over the digital divide have focused on universal access to the internet as well as the use of hardware devices, and have generally lacked an understanding of the reality in economically disadvantaged regions concerning the tools required to bring about digital convergence. In order to discover the effectiveness of the government initiative to increase broadband speed and provide universal telecommunication services, this research evaluates the policy’s impact, positively or negatively, on those affected through empirically evaluating the access of people in economically disadvantaged regions to computers, other digital communication tools, and access to data communication. The results will allow greater insight into the digital divergence remaining between cities and townships, the opportunities presented, and the broader influence of this divergence. This research suggests a move towards greater awareness and participation in government policy by those affected, as opinions regarding the policy’s effectiveness can only increase overall satisfaction with the policy over time.