Why Taiwan is conducting its first-ever mobile network throttling exercise
Taiwan is conducting its first-ever mobile network throttling exercise this week to test how the public responds to wartime communications disruptions, a new civil defence measure that has sparked criticism over the government’s preparedness. The exercise, held in central Taiwan on Monday and planned for northern Taiwan on Thursday, will simulate severe mobile network congestion by reducing 4G…
Taiwan is conducting its first-ever mobile network throttling exercise this week to test public response to wartime communications disruptions. The 30-minute drill, set to occur in central Taiwan on Monday and northern Taiwan on Thursday, will reduce 4G and 5G bandwidth for 17 million people, or 73 percent of the island's population.
Services relying on mobile data, including video streaming and online banking, may become temporarily unavailable. While voice calls, SMS messages, and emergency cell broadcasts will remain functional, the exercise aims to assess how civilians would cope with disrupted communications in the event of war, cyberattacks, or natural disasters.
Premier Cho Jung-tai emphasized that the drill would not result in a complete internet shutdown, drawing on practices from democracies such as Japan, South Korea, and the Nordic countries. However, the exercise has faced criticism from the public and opposition lawmakers, who question the practicality of reducing mobile bandwidth to near-zero levels and the government's ability to prepare for such disruptions.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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