FAQs
When did the “iTaiwan Government Indoor Public Area Free WiFi Access” begin? What is the scope of service? Who can use this service?
Since 7 October 2011, more than 5,000 WiFi hotspots (access points) have been established in the indoor public areas of someoffices of the agencies of the Executive Yuan to provide citizens with free basic WiFi access service. This service is callediTaiwan and provides 8Mbps bandwidth for the public to access the internet. The WiFi hotspots are chiefly available in theindoor public area of local tourism attractions, transportation nodes, cultural and educational facilities, and governmentoffices to provide citizens the ability to search for information over the Internet in case of emergency or when they areconducting business at government offices.
Where can I get more information about the “iTaiwan Government Indoor Public Area Free WiFi Access”? To whom should I address my questions about the service?
The service set identifier (SSID) of this service is iTaiwan. Phonetically, it is a homophone to "love Taiwan" in Mandarin.Semantically, it signifies both Intelligent Taiwan and Internet Taiwan. The relevant information of the service is available from the service website at https://itaiwan.gov.tw. Should you have any questions, please feel free to call our free 24-hour helplineat 0800-081-051. Our service staff will help you to solve your problems.
Do I need to pay internet access charges when I use ' iTaiwan Government Indoor Public Area Free WiFi Access ' ?
The ' iTaiwan Government Indoor Public Area Free WiFi Access ' is free. However, please take careful note of whether yourinternet access device (such as smart phone) has automatic network connectivity switched on. If your internet device connectsautomatically, when your device loses the iTaiwan WiFi signal, it may connect to the internet via a commercial 3G networkautomatically and you may be charged 3G data transmission fees. We suggest that you turn off automatic network connectivitybefore use. You should also remember to logout and close your browser when you no longer use 'iTaiwan Government Public WiFiAccess Service' to prevent additional fees.
How much bandwidth does the ‘iTaiwan Government Indoor Public Area Free WiFi Access’ currently support?
iTaiwan delivers an average download baud rate of about 8Mbps, mainly to provide the public with basic WiFiservice and to satisfy the temporary internet access needs of users either outdoors of conducting businessat a government office. Citizens can conveniently check and send e-mails in their spare time and browse websites.This bandwidth range can meet the demands of the basic and frequently used networking services mentioned above.Citizens wishing to download a large amount of multimedia data or files should subscribe to a commercial WiFi servicewhich is similar to policies in other countries. In the future, the Executive Yuan may improve the service qualityaccording to the result of this trial service, the policy of foreign governments, and service availability of domesticInternet service providers.
Is the electromagnetic radiation from WiFi service very strong? Is it hazardous to public health?
Citizens can enjoy wireless broadband networking by connecting to a WiFi AP.However, the effect of electromagnetic fields (EMF) on human health is a public concern.Based on the low-power radio-frequency specifications announced by the International Commissionon Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA)suggests that EMF power should be lower than 1 milliwatt/cm2 (1,000μW/cm2 or 10,000,000μW/m2).The National Communications Council (NCC) measured the EMF power of WiFi APs in June 2008. The result was0.000000379 milli-watt/cm2, which is far lower than the suggested value announced by the EPA.The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) of the Taipei City Government has also requested serviceproviders measure the EMF power of their AP locations. According to DEP officials, based on the standard of 1,000μW/cm2,the highest EMF power measured was 2.08μW/cm2 from the closet point to the transmitter. Likewise, this value is far lowerthan the standard value. According to the conclusions of the "Electromagnetic fields and public health: Base stationsand wireless technologies" (WHO, May 2006, FS304): '...there is no convincing scientific evidence that the weak RF signalsfrom...wireless networks cause adverse health effects.'
Where can I find iTaiwan WiFi hotspots?
Citizens can search for hotspot locations with the "Hotspot Search" function on this site.They can search for hotspots by map or by condition and from the nationwide hotspot distribution map.As these hotspots are located in the indoor public area of government offices, citizens can identify the availabilityof the iTaiwan service through the 
logo posted at the entrance of government organizationsand agencies. By entering government offices with this logo (places with better signal response), citizens can enjoy the iTaiwan service.
What are the service hours of iTaiwan?
(1) Since the service is made available in the indoor public area of government offices,in consideration of power supply and site service, the service hours of iTaiwan coincide withthe office hours of these government offices.
(2) At present, the service hours of all hotspots are the same as the office hours of governmentoffices where the service is available; except for the hotspots in railway stations and rest areason national highways, which are available 24 hours a day.
What is the coverage area of the iTaiwan WiFi hotspots?
In general, as the iTaiwan hotspots are built with WiFi technology, the best signal reception is within a 20mradius from each access point. However, signals are subject to attenuation as a result of indoor barriers.Therefore, it is recommended that citizens use the service near the logo（places with the best signal reception）.Also, as the service is indoor-based, when your device detects the iTaiwan signal outdoors,please confirm it is a signal from iTaiwan to ensure information security.