TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan conducted its first-ever deliberate slowdown of mobile internet services on Monday, testing whether essential government and emergency services could continue operating under conditions of severely limited mobile communications.
The 30-minute urban resilience exercise was held in central Taiwan from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Residents received an emergency message instructing them to stop their activities, limit movement, and evacuate to nearby shelters if notified.
During the drill, mobile internet speeds were restricted in seven counties and cities across central Taiwan. Telecom operators used core-network throttling to limit mobile download speeds to 256 kilobytes per second, simulating conditions in which communications resources could be constrained during a major disaster or wartime, per a Cabinet press release.
The National Communications Commission organized the mobile network test, while government agencies used the exercise to verify communication backup systems and critical public services' ability to maintain operations. The Cabinet said the exercise was designed as a stress test for extreme scenarios rather than simply a test of slower internet speeds.
During the exercise, emergency response authorities reviewed and activated backup communications, including mobile base stations, low-Earth-orbit satellites, and radio systems. The government's fixed-line network and medical institutions' fixed-line networks and Wi-Fi services remained operational. Critical infrastructure, including water, electricity, and fuel supplies, was also unaffected.
Minister Without Portfolio Chi Lien-cheng (季連成) conducted an interministerial review following the drill and held a videoconference with local governments to confirm that essential public services had continued operating normally, per the press release.
According to National Police Agency statistics, 243 emergency calls, six video calls through apps, and five SMS calls were recorded in central Taiwan during the exercise, with no significant abnormalities compared with the same period last year. The 119 emergency communications system remained operational throughout the drill. Backup communications used by local governments, including low-Earth-orbit satellites and radio systems, also functioned normally.
Individuals or groups that fail to comply with exercise orders under the Civil Defense Act can face fines ranging from NT$30,000 (US$930) to NT$150,000. Similar exercises will continue Tuesday in the outlying counties of Kinmen, Lienchiang, and Penghu before moving to northern Taiwan on Thursday, per Storm Media.
