The 2006 Digital Cities Convention Taipei (DCCT 2006) and Showcase will be held from June 28 to July 1 at the Taipei International Convention Center . Industrial leaders, professionals, and public officials have been invited to come and share their experience regarding mobile convenience and in planning, deployment, and strategy for broadband wireless and digitization within cities and communities. Highlights will cover the successful results of both the M-Taiwan and E-Taiwan initiatives.

Hosted by Taipei City Government (TCG) together with the Wireless Internet Institute (W2i), major themes for the high-level panel discussions will include Broadband Policies and Regulatory Reform , A Winning Team for Digital Cities -- Mayors and their CIOs , Public Service Applications on Reaching the Ultimate Goal of Bridging the Digital Divide and Creating Wireless Infrastructure, and the E-Government Efficiencies .

Furthermore, a panel of mayors will hold discussions on ‘M-Taiwan in Fly.' Discussions on various case studies will address the topics of public safety, servicing high-density population areas, mobile applications, and neighborhood portals, followed by a number of workshops. A Showcase, to coincide with the Convention, will bring in business models, from the public and private sectors, to deliver timely information on state-of-the-art technologies, applications, infrastructure, and services for digital cities. The Showcase will thereafter be transferred to City Hall Concourse, and open to the general public on July 1, 2006.

In 1998, the TCG formulated phases for installation of Internet infrastructure within Taipei , to cultivate Taipei as a CyberCity. Taipei has rapidly achieved its goal, and the city is proud to be a global leader in terms of hardware and wireless Internet infrastructure.

The first phase of the Cyber City plan was implemented from 1999 to 2002, and the second phase began in 2003 and will be completed this year. Wireless Internet access promotes an e-environment within the city as well as creates prospects for limitless business opportunities. On two occasions, Taipei has been listed as one of the world's top-seven intelligent communities, in 2004 and 2006, by the Intelligent City Forum (ICF), a nonprofit think-tank that focuses on job creation and economic development in the broadband economy.

With properly planned and implemented digitization and Internet access, Taipei is ready for the challenges of the 21 st century, to maintain and increase a competitive edge as a demanding future unfolds. Digital cities are no longer just a dream when local governments cooperate with the academic and/or private sectors to generate a broadband environment. The benefits reach all areas of society and people from all walks of life. Additionally, an e-environment enhances business opportunities, public welfare, efficiency in education, and expediency in government services, and is a positive lure for foreign investment.

The 2006 Digital Cities Convention Taipei will provide an opportunity for members in the IT profession to gather under one roof and showcase a world of different business models, technological innovation, and applications. It will also highlight how local governments and private-sector enterprises can cooperate to build digital cities. Invited panelists will include mayors, CIOs, opinion leaders, and academics from the U.S. , Europe, and Asia .