TTFREE, Taitung’s Free Internet Service, has officially been accessed over 2 million times. The Taitung County Government will install more public hotspots to allow access to the internet’s limitless creative potential.
“Digital Taitung, Endless Possibility”
Taitung’s free Wi-Fi, TTFREE, officially became available to the public on October 1, 2020. As of now, TTFREE has been accessed over 2 million times. There are an average of around 9,749 users every day. The record for the most users in one day stands at 33,953. The Taitung County Government stated that the new version of TTFREE features fast connection speeds and continuous service. The new TTFREE has increased coverage because it’s supported by both fiber optic and 4G cables. Public and private institutions, schools, hospitals and other organizations have joined TTFREE’s network. The area TTFREE covers has increased because there are now 682 public hotspots. TTFREE has also integrated with mobile signal transmitters on public buses. Now, users can access TTFREE while on public buses to find information about where buses are in real time. TTFREE is designed around how people actually use their mobile devices. Therefore, TTFREE offers access through various social media platforms. Users simply use their smartphone to connect to TTFREE and can use their cell phone number, Facebook or Line account to log in. This makes it easier for users from abroad because it’s not necessary to sign up or enter any personal information.
Magistrate of Taitung County April Yao stated that the use of mobile devices has proliferated along with rapid developments in information technology. Also, mobile devices have become more common in everyday life as information becomes more mobile and location independent. For instance, delivery services and online shopping are experiencing a surge in popularity. Also, e-commerce platforms and a boom in businesses operated from private residences are slowly changing consumer spending habits. These applications of IT all rely on a comprehensive wireless network. The establishment of TTFREE has made the internet more available to the public, increased access to digital services and spurred activity in the digital economy. The planning and implementation of government policy must employ statistical analysis. Digital policymakers use TTFREE’s public hotspots to collect data on crowd size, analyze crowd movement and the location of popular gathering points. For instance, TTFREE was used during Taitung’s 2021 New Year’s Eve Celebration to detect the movement of participants and accurately determine crowd flow figures. The New Year’s Eve event was safer and more fun because this information was provided to disease prevention specialists.
Taitung’s International Development and Planning Department stated that internet coverage will become more comprehensive because more TTFREE public hotspots will be set up in the future. TTFREE will provide hotspots to meet the internet connectivity demands of elderly smart care, air quality monitoring, disaster prevention monitoring and mobile medical facilities. These services will increase the value of how TTFREE is applied, tap into the full potential of wireless internet and create exponentially more possibilities for the general public.
