The Taiwan-Matsu undersea cable disruptions are due to natural causes, according to Deputy Digital Affairs Minister Herming Chiueh (闕河鳴) in a press conference on Wednesday. Earlier Wednesday morning, the National Communications Commission (NCC) received a Chunghwa Telecom report detailing communication problems due to cable damage and immediate activation of emergency microwave and satellite backup.
Chiueh said their preliminary investigation shows that natural degradation was the cause for the disruption of both Taiwan-Matsu cable No. 2, which disconnected Wednesday morning at approximately 5:30 a.m., and No. 3, which went offline on January 15. He elaborated that in the case of tampering or accidental breaks, function is cut all at once, whereas natural degradation wears down one core at a time, which is more common in the winter due to severe ocean currents. He added that Chunghwa Telecom also works closely with the Coast Guard to monitor ship activity in the area.
Chiueh stated that the current microwave bandwidth between Taiwan and Matsu is 12.6 Gbps, higher than peak weekday traffic of 9.5 Gbps, and should be sufficient until repairs are completed. He ensured that the Digital Affairs Ministry currently can additionally provide up to nine asynchronous satellite devices to ensure key infrastructure such as the government, banks, and hospitals are not interrupted. Chiueh emphasized that repairs should be completed by the end of January.
The Digital Affairs Ministry has reported that instances of cable damage due to fishing boats or cargo ships have increased in recent years. Currently, Taiwan maintains 14 international and 10 domestic undersea cables, all of which are elements of critical infrastructure and backed with contingency plans in the case of disruption.