Taiwan activates backup communications for outlying island after undersea cable breaks

TAIPEI, April 30 (Reuters) – Taiwan has activated backup communications for its northernmost province, the remote and strategically located Dongyin island, after bad weather conditions shifted the wreckage of a ship onto a submarine cable, causing it to break.

The vulnerability of undersea communications cables connecting Taiwan to outlying islands has been a constant source of concern for Taipei, whose government has on several occasions accused Chinese ships of deliberately causing damage.

Dongyin, home to approximately 1,500 people, is strategically located at the top of the Taiwan Strait and has a heavy military presence on the island. There is no airport and it depends on ferries from Taiwan.

The cable connecting Dongyin to Beigan, part of the Taiwan-controlled Matsu islands near the Chinese coast, was broken, Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs said in a statement late Wednesday.

While mobile phone, voice and data internet services were operating normally in Dongyin, a microwave communications backup system was activated, relaying voice communications and internet services.

It was also stated that cable television services were not able to operate and some internet services may experience minor delays due to weather conditions.

Repairs to the cable by Chunghwa Telecom are expected to be completed by the end of July, although it depends on weather conditions, the ministry said.

In 2023, two undersea cables connecting the Matsu islands were cut, cutting off internet connectivity. Taiwanese officials said two Chinese ships caused the outage but said there was no evidence that Beijing deliberately interfered with the cables.

Taiwan has since sought to increase communications flexibility for emergencies, including a conflict with China, such as a trial program to use low-Earth orbit satellites for remote areas including Matsu.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)