TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is expected to deploy low-earth orbit satellite ground stations at around 700 sites nationwide by the end of next year amid growing concerns about internet access in a potential cross-strait conflict.
The Cabinet has approved a two-year plan to boost the country’s digital resilience, Liberty Times wrote on Sunday (March 12), focusing on proof-of-concept testing of infrastructure to ensure undisrupted communication services.
The digital ministry and national security branches will select 700 out of the 6,882 infrastructure sites for the implementation of the network, including hospitals and shelters. Due to budgetary reasons, the program can not cover all locations but mobile equipment could be brought in, CNA quoted Digital Minister Audrey Tang (唐鳳) as saying.
The main objective is to ensure that when a conflict occurs, communication services, including video conferencing, internet phone calls, and live broadcasting, remain available. This will allow the president to address the nation and the country to keep the communication channels open with allies such as the U.S. and Japan, officials explained.
The move follows the severing of two submarine cables connecting Taiwan and its outlying Matsu islands last month, allegedly by Chinese vessels and disrupting the islands’ communications services. Protecting undersea cables has become a priority as Chunghwa Telecom reported 27 instances of cuts in Taiwan’s undersea cables over the past five years.
The importance of uninterrupted internet connectivity has also been brought to the fore by the war in Ukraine. This has helped the war-battered country convey messages and garner international support.