Taiwan to slow mobile data during national resilience drills
Taiwan is conducting a national resilience drill to simulate communication disruptions, primarily targeting mobile data services, to prepare its citizens for potential network outages during emergencies, especially in the context of heightened geopolitical tensions with China and frequent natural disasters. The exercise will significantly reduce mobile data speeds while maintaining other communication channels.
Taiwan will conduct a national resilience drill in mid-August to test its ability to maintain communication during potential disruptions, particularly those stemming from military conflict or natural disasters. The exercise will involve throttling mobile data speeds across 14 cities and counties in northern and central Taiwan for a period of 30 minutes.
During the drill, users will experience a drastic reduction in mobile data speeds, rendering services like video streaming, social media, and large file transfers largely unusable. However, essential services such as voice calls, text messages, emergency alerts, and calls to emergency services will continue to function as normal.
Authorities emphasize that this is not an internet shutdown, and fixed broadband, WiFi, landline telephone services, and military communications will remain operational. The goal is to encourage citizens to proactively prepare by downloading offline maps, utilizing WiFi for scheduled meetings, and establishing backup communication plans for contacting family members.
The drill is part of Taiwan’s annual Urban Resilience Exercises, which are integrated with the Han Kuang military drills. The exercise will also assess civilian evacuations, expand emergency medical capacity, and evaluate the use of drones for delivering supplies and medical equipment.
Taiwan has been increasingly focused on bolstering its resilience against both military threats, particularly from China, and natural disasters like typhoons and earthquakes. The island has also experienced disruptions to undersea communications cables in recent years, highlighting the vulnerability of its infrastructure.