“Wow! I never realized visiting Cingjing Farm could be so easy and convenient!” Following the launch of an M-Taiwan (Mobile Taiwan) Project in Nantou County’s Ren-ai Rural Township, tourists planning to visit the area can check local transportation and tourism information in advance using a new portal site.
During their trip, they can use a handheld device to access the site via Wi-Fi technology and make use of mobile tourist navigation services. After returning home, they can order local produce and souvenirs from the areas they have visited online.

All of this represents a new era in tourism. At the same time, promotion of “mobile healthcare” services under the M-Taiwan Project has brought better medical care for local residents. After-school e-learning support has helped to boost local children’s enthusiasm for their studies, and mobile commerce services have helped to create new business opportunities in the local tourism industry.

The Problems Affecting Tourist Destinations in the Mountains

Ren-ai Rural Township in Nantou County is a favorite holiday destination for people in Central Taiwan. Many famous scenic spots are there, including Cingjing Veterans’ Farm, Aowanda National Forest Recreation Area, and Lushan Hot Springs to name a few. With its clean fresh air and unique aboriginal culture, Ren-ai Rural Township is a relaxing choice for people looking to get away from it all. The area is in a remote mountain region sometimes affected by summer typhoons that result in local people having communication disruptions during these storms. Landslides can block roads leading to a decline in tourism, and reduction of local residents’ income as tourists and agricultural products are dependent upon the local road system.

To improve the overall quality of the tourist experience and create more economic benefits, Chunghwa Telecom received grants through with the M-Taiwan Project to enhance wireless communications and application services in Ren-ai Rural Township. Between October 2005 and the end of 2007, Chunghwa Telecom used WiMAX technology to establish a high-quality broadband network in the area, along with “mobile tourism, mobile healthcare, and after-school e-learning support” application services. The development of these services will foster better sightseeing, medical, and educational opportunities for local residents and visitors.

The “Mobile Tourism” Portal Site Provides a Wealth of Tourist Information

Anyone planning to visit the area can access the “Ren-ai Wireless Tourism” website (Figure 1) to view various tourist attractions and itineraries in the area.  This might include a visit to Cingjing Farm.

Tourists can check road conditions courtesy of the “mobile tourist navigation system” provided by the M-Taiwan Project at the Cingjing Farm Visitor Center; PDAs or other handled devices are all Internet accessible in rugged mountain terrain using the Wi-Fi wireless base stations with WiMAX technology as the backhaul network.  WiMAX provides high-quality bandwidth wireless Internet connections ensuring tourist navigation services work continuously. Public transportation options are also available on the website for those not wishing to drive.

Farm visitors can share live streaming video with friends of family of the farm’s many activities including sheep-shearing and lake trails for a family walk and bird watching. All the wonders of “mobile tourism” are at your fingertips 24/7.

 Figure 1 The M-Taiwan “Ren-ai Wireless Tourism” Site Homepage

Source: Chunghwa Telecom (December 2008)

Continuing Stream of Business Opportunities from Mobile Commerce

Besides enjoying the beautiful scenery, visitors to Nantou County’s Ren-ai Rural Township can also try freshly picked vegetables (grown at high altitude), plump, sweet peaches and a wide variety of other agricultural produce and specialties. If, after returning home, you still find yourself hungering for one of these local specialties, you can order products online via the Ren-ai Rural Township “Shopping Go” site; once you have completed payment, the goods will be delivered fresh to your door!

Besides enabling consumers to purchase local specialties, the establishment of the “Shopping Go” site has also created new business opportunities for local firms. In the past, these businesses relied heavily on tourist purchases in Ren-ai Rural Township itself on the weekends. Now, with this new m-commerce site, farmers who are selling local specialties as a sideline can handle consumers’ online orders immediately. If a new product is available, they can add its details directly to the website (Figure 2). M-commerce can increase existing customer bases and boost sales revenues.
From now on, visiting Ren-ai Rural Township is easy and convenient thanks to the government’s M-Taiwan Project which created a wireless portal site. A wealth of information is available and always updated which includes travel, accommodation, restaurants, eco-tourism holidays, markets, farms, ready purchase of local specialities, and all this through convenient wireless Internet access.

Figure 2 The Ren-ai Rural Township “Shopping Go” Website

Source: Chunghwa Telecom (December 2008)