TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Digital Affairs said Tuesday that all domestic submarine cables are intact despite online rumors of widespread breaks.

Of the 14 international systems, three remain out of service, but backup routes are keeping communications stable, per CNA.

Reports from Taiwan Submarine Cable Map suggested that eight or nine cables near Taiwan were disrupted at the same time. The most recent case occurred on Sept. 1, when the EAC2 system toward Southeast Asia went down, briefly affecting traffic between Taiwan and Singapore.

MODA said the three faulty international cables are: RNAL/FNAL, which broke near Hong Kong on July 6 with repairs scheduled for completion by Sept. 10; C2C, which sustained two faults off Fangshan in July and is expected to be repaired by Oct. 9; and EAC1, which broke near Bali, New Taipei, on Aug. 22 and is scheduled for repair by Nov. 28.

The ministry said repair schedules depend on ship availability and sea conditions. It added that the Sept. 1 EAC2 fault occurred on the Philippines–Singapore segment, leaving Taiwan’s landing point unaffected.

Industry experts warn that cable breaks have increased due to natural causes, fishing vessels, and possible human interference. Repairs require specialized ships and can take weeks or months, often complicated by typhoon season.

Meanwhile, the DPP met with lawmakers from Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party on Wednesday to hold economic talks, per CNA. Submarine cable security was highlighted as a shared concern.

DPP Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) explained that while Taiwan and Japan have marine cooperation covering safety and environmental issues, submarine cables had not been included. He said collaboration with Japan would be mutually beneficial.