Taiwan ‘Throttles’ Mobile Internet for First Time During Annual War Games

Taiwan deliberately slowed mobile internet services across a significant portion of its central region on Monday, a move unprecedented during its annual war games. The drill aimed to simulate communication disruptions that could occur during a Chinese attack or a natural disaster.

The exercise, centered on the major metropolis of Taichung, saw only basic mobile phone services remain functional. Crucially, essential services like ATMs, traffic signals, landlines, and fixed internet connections were unaffected. This targeted throttling tested the resilience of communication networks under simulated duress.

Air raid sirens sounded in Taichung as people cleared the streets for a 30-minute period, a standard procedure during Taiwan's yearly civil defense drills. The government had widely publicized the exercise, sending text message alerts in both Chinese and English and posting details on social media to ensure public awareness.

This internet slowdown drill is part of Taiwan's larger 10-day Han Kuang military exercise, which rehearses various scenarios in response to China's persistent threats to seize the island by force. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory. Earlier on Monday, Taiwan's military also simulated repelling a Chinese air landing assault on the strategically vital Penghu Islands, located closer to Taiwan than to mainland China.

Taiwanese strategists view the Penghu Islands as a potential first target for Beijing. The drills involve integrating reserve forces and enhancing realistic preparation for potential conflict scenarios, including coastal defense against simulated enemy landings.