By Yimou Lee
TAIPEI, July 21 (Reuters) – Taiwan will deliberately slow mobile internet speeds for the first time during annual civil defence drills in August, testing how citizens would communicate if bandwidth became scarce in emergencies ranging from disasters to a Chinese invasion.
During the 30-minute slowdown, high-bandwidth services, such as video calls, streaming and social media images, will be unavailable across 14 cities and counties in northern and central Taiwan home to about 70% of the population, government planning documents show.
The exercise is part of Taiwan’s push to beef up preparedness as China step ups military pressure around the island, prompting officials to plan not only for air raids but also communications disruptions in case of a blockade, cyberattack or invasion.
“We hope the current drills will not only involve central government agencies, but also help the public strengthen their own preparations for using different communication methods,” a senior Taiwan security official told a briefing.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, pointed to a recent spike in Chinese coast guard activities off Taiwan’s Pacific coast.
It was a “global trend” for governments to run disrupted communications drills, the official added, citing examples from Japan and Singapore.
Communications resilience has become a growing strategic concern for Taipei after repeated undersea cable breaks in recent years exposed its vulnerability to disruptions that officials say could stem from natural disasters, sabotage or China’s grey-zone tactics.
Taiwanese authorities have also been holding drills to prepare officials and the public for “compound disasters” — cascading crises that could range from earthquakes to war with China.
China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island. Taiwan strongly rejects China’s sovereignty claim, saying only its people can decide their future.
The slowdown during Taiwan’s annual air-raid drills will affect the central region on August 10 and its north on August 13 for 30 minutes each time. Key services, from ATMs and traffic signals to emergency ambulance calls, will not be affected.
“We hope the public will think ahead about possible backup options, and consider what impact or changes there may be during those 30 minutes,” said a second senior security official, who also sought anonymity.
Such options could include landlines, fixed-line internet or even walkie-talkies, the official said, adding people should agree in advance on ways to contact family members and sites to meet them.
A publicity campaign, including television ticker messages, will spread guidance on how citizens should respond, the official added.
(Reporting by Yimou Lee; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Clarence Fernandez)
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