Taiwan activates backup communications for remote island after undersea cable breaks

Taiwan has activated backup communications for its northernmost territory, the remote and strategically located island of Dongyin, after poor weather conditions apparently shifted the wreckage of a ship onto an undersea cable causing it to break.

The vulnerability of undersea communication cables linking Taiwan with its outlying islands has been a persistent cause of concern for Taipei, whose government has on several occasions blamed Chinese ships for intentionally causing damage.

Dongyin, home to around 1,500 people, sits in a strategic position at the top of the Taiwan Strait and the island has a heavy military presence. It does not have an airport and relies on ferries from Taiwan.

Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs said in a statement late Wednesday that the cable linking Dongyin to Beigan, part of the Taiwan-controlled Matsu islands which sit close to the Chinese coast, had broken.

A microwave communication backup system has been activated, transferring voice communications and internet services, with mobile phone, voice, and data internet services on Dongyin operating normally.

Cable television services are unable to operate and some internet services may experience minor delays due to weather conditions, it added.

Repairs to the cable by Chunghwa Telecom 2412.TW are expected to be completed by the end of July, though that will depend on weather conditions, the ministry said.

In 2023, two undersea cables connecting the Matsu islands were cut, disconnecting the internet. Taiwan authorities said two Chinese vessels caused the disruption, but said that there was no evidence Beijing deliberately tampered with the cables.

Taiwan has since worked to boost its communication resilience for emergencies including a conflict with China, such as a trial programme to use low-Earth-orbit satellites for remote areas including Matsu.

-Ben Blanchard/Reuters