Taiwan briefly slows its mobile internet to text-only speed as part of defense drill
Telecom operators slowed mobile web traffic to 256 Kbps for 30 minutes as Taiwan tested emergency communications during annual war games.
- Taiwan concluded its 10-day Han Kuang military exercises this week, featuring drills to simulate repelling a Chinese invasion alongside the government's first-ever mobile internet 'throttling' tests in Taipei and six other cities to prepare for potential bandwidth scarcity during emergencies.
- The 10-day Han Kuang drills modeled various scenarios including coastal defense and anti-blockade operations, as military forces practiced responding to heightened tensions with China, which regularly sends warplanes and navy ships into the Taiwan Strait.
- President Lai Ching-te inspected emergency underground facilities in New Taipei while citizens participated in air raid drills that briefly shuttered metro stations; the government integrated civil defense with military operations to coordinate with local governments.
- During the 30-minute mobile internet tests, telecommunication operators reduced speeds to 256 Kbps to simulate wartime conditions, though fixed-line services, Wi-Fi, and critical infrastructure like ATMs remained fully operational throughout the country.
- Lai hosted foreign diplomats including Israeli and Canadian ambassadors during the drills, stating "We are not facing regional geopolitical changes alone," to emphasize international support amid ongoing tensions with Beijing.
40 Articles
40 Articles
Air raid, Internet drills finish in north
Air raid sirens rang out and streets emptied in northern Taiwan yesterday during annual air raid drills that also included the government limiting mobile Internet access to simulate what might happen in the event of a Chinese attack.In this year’s 10-day Han Kuang war games, which end today, the mil
Taiwan slows internet as Han Kuang drills rehearse Chinese invasion response
Taiwan cut mobile internet speeds for 30 minutes during the final phase of Han Kuang exercises. The disruption highlighted a sharper civil-defence push as the island prepares for possible Chinese aggression.
Associated Press News
Taiwan briefly slows its mobile internet to text-only speed as part of defense drill
For 30 minutes, the internet in parts of Taiwan crawled. The slowdown Thursday for people in Taipei and other cities was part of annual military exercises that aim to model a response to a possible Chinese military invasion.
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