Taiwan's first internet blackout drill

Taiwan conducted its first-ever drill simulating a large-scale disruption in mobile communication networks, aimed at testing the readiness of the population and government to handle internet outages during wars, cyberattacks, or natural disasters. Network capacity for 4G and 5G services was reduced for 30 minutes in central and northern Taiwan, affecting approximately 17 million people (about 73% of the population). The internet was not completely cut off; voice calls and messages continued, but some data services such as electronic payments and QR code messaging experienced temporary outages. The initial phase of the exercise faced criticism from users and Deputy Ko Chu Chun, who considered reducing capacity to 1% as a form of wide-scale shutdown and called for a more genuine test to measure the effectiveness of backup systems. The Prime Minister defended the drill, emphasizing that the goal was to assess the network’s adaptability, drawing lessons from countries like Japan and South Korea. However, some politicians warned that real attacks could cause disruptions lasting an entire day and criticized the exercise for lacking sufficient explanations of contingency procedures.

Size: 120%Text Size

Notice: This Is an AI-Generated Summary

Display The Full Article