Taiwan Star Telecom Co. has established a partnership with Acer ITS Inc. to develop smart transportation services, using 5G technology.
The partnership with Acer ITS will start with the development of a smart ticketing system for rehabilitation buses and wheelchair accessible taxis, the telecom company said.
Taiwan Star said it brings to the table its broad 4G/5G network in Taiwan, big data development and wide range of customer services, while Acer ITS has experience in smart ticketing services, identification applications and diverse payment solutions.
Through their partnership, the two companies are aiming to create a transportation environment that will offer better services for the elderly, Taiwan Star said.
Taiwan is expected to become a super-aged society by 2025, with one in every five residents 65 years and over, Taiwan Star noted, citing a report by the National Development Council, the government's top economic planning agency.
According to the report, more than half of Taiwan's population will be 50 years old and over by the end of 2034, which signals growing demand for smart transportation services for the elderly, Taiwan Star said.
Chu Hsiao-hsin (朱曉幸), senior vice president of Taiwan Star's marketing operations, said his company needs a partner like Acer ITS to develop such services.
According to Acer ITS president Yu Ming-feng (游明豐), his company has the capability, based on its years of experience, to maintain a stable smart ticketing system under any circumstances.
Acer ITS, which accounts for about 70 percent of the bus digital-ticketing equipment market in Taiwan, is a spinoff of Acer Inc., one of the largest PC brands in the country.
