Taiwan will simulate disruptions to mobile Internet services for the first time, as the island steps up preparations for scenarios ranging from natural disasters to a potential conflict with China.
The exercise will be part of annual drills testing the resilience of urban areas against various contingencies, according to national security officials who briefed reporters on July 20 in Taipei. The simulation will take place on August 10 in central Taiwan and August 13 in northern Taiwan, including Taipei, they said, speaking on sensitive issues on condition of anonymity.
Mobile data speeds in the affected regions will be slowed between 2:30 pm and 3 pm to the point that streaming or viewing videos becomes difficult. Mobile voice calls, text messages and fixed-line broadband services will continue to operate normally.
The exercise is designed to familiarise the public with alternative ways of communicating when cellular data networks are disrupted. It’s also aimed at encouraging households to establish backup plans for contacting family members and obtaining information on shelters and relief stations.
Taiwan has been trying to make drills more realistic as the threat posed by China grows, one of the officials said. Future drills could expand beyond mobile Internet outages to include disruptions to other forms of telecommunication, they said.
In recent years, Beijing has intensified military pressure on the self-ruled island through near-daily air and naval operations and periodic large-scale military exercises, refusing to rule out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. China has also said it would continue to patrol the waters east of Taiwan after Japan and the Philippines announced maritime boundary delimitation talks in the area.
Aside from the threat of war, Taiwan is also regularly affected by natural disasters, including earthquakes and typhoons.
The resilience exercises in August will also focus on evacuation operations, expanding the island’s medical capacity, and using drones to deliver commodities and medical supplies, according to the officials. – Bloomberg
