Digital United

{{Short description|Taiwanese internet provider}}

Digital United, commonly known as SeedNet, is a Taiwanese Internet service provider based in Taipei. The service offers broadband services, including fiber-optic internet and ADSL connections.

It was first a Project SEED (Software Engineering Environment Development), sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and operated by the Institute for Information Industry to push-start Taiwan's local Internet market.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

Digital United was established in 2000.{{cite news |last=Lin |first=Zongxun 林宗勳 |date=2009-07-23 |title=新世紀資通 |trans-title=New Century Information |language=zh |url=https://www.digitimes.com.tw/tech/dt/n/shwnws.asp?id=0000143896_ULS9VTUU8BORQ27NL8X6V |newspaper=DigiTimes |accessdate=2024-08-12 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240812081821/https://www.digitimes.com.tw/tech/dt/n/shwnws.asp?id=0000143896_ULS9VTUU8BORQ27NL8X6V |archivedate=2024-08-12 }} Its major shareholders were Far Eastern Textile (20%), Asia Cement (20%), Singtel (18%), Uni-President Enterprises Corporation (10%), and China Development Industrial Bank (10%).{{cite news |last=Sun |first=Shirley |date=2000-02-19 |title=New Century getting ready for fixed line services |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2000/02/19/0000024769 |newspaper=Taipei Times |accessdate=2024-08-12 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240812082338/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2000/02/19/0000024769 |archivedate=2024-08-12 }} In November, GigaMedia, a subsidiary of the Koos Group, was said to be interested in acquiring the service.{{Cite web |date=2000-11-20 |title=GigaMedia said to be interested in acquiring SeedNet - Taipei Times |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2000/11/20/0000062281 |access-date=2024-08-12 |newspaper=Taipei Times}}

In 2005, Digital United launched a VoIP telephony service using the SIP-based network of American internet service TelTel.{{Cite web |last=Staff |date=2005-09-19 |title=Taiwan's Seednet Offers TelTel's SIP Service |url=https://convergedigest.com/taiwan-seednet-offers-teltel-sip-service/ |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=Converge Digest |language=en-US}} In August 2007, Singtel transferred its 24.5% stake in the provider for a 3.5% share of Far EasTone.{{cite web|title=SingTel in NCIC/Far EasTone share swap deal|url=https://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2007/08/15/singtel-in-ncicfar-eastone-share-swap-deal/|publisher=Telegeography|access-date=2024-08-13|archive-date=2016-06-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604030001/https://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2007/08/15/singtel-in-ncicfar-eastone-share-swap-deal/|url-status=dead}} Later that year, Digital United launched an online music platform to provide value-added services to its broadband Internet access customers.{{Cite web |date=2007-12-03 |title=Taiwan market: SeedNet ISP launches online music service |url=https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20071203PD209.html |access-date=2024-08-12 |newspaper=DigiTimes |language=en}}