Taiwan suspects Beijing cut islands internet cables...

News Summary

  • Nowadays, the internet plays a very large role in people’s lives,” said Chen, who lives in Beigan, one of Matsu’s main residential islands.Apart from disrupting lives, the loss of the internet cables, seemingly innocuous, has huge implications for national security.
  • Wang Chung Ming, the head of Lienchiang County, as the Matsu islands are officially called, said he and the legislator from Matsu went to Taipei shortly after the internet broke down to ask for help, and was told they would get priority in any future internet backup plans.
  • Many Pacific island nations, before they started using internet cables, depended on satellites — and some still do — as backup, said Jonathan Brewer, a telecommunications consultant from New Zealand who works across Asia and the Pacific.
  • “Taiwan needs to invest more resources in repairing and protecting the cables.”Internet cables, which can be anywhere between 20 millimeters to 30 millimeters (0.79 inches to 1.18 inches) wide, are encased in steel armor in shallow waters where they’re more likely to run into ships.
  • For connecting to the outside world, Matsu’s 14,000 residents rely on two submarine internet cables leading to Taiwan’s main island.
  • NCC said it will install a surveillance system for the undersea cables, while relying on microwave transmission as a backup option.
NANGAN, Taiwan (AP) In the past month, bed and breakfast owner Chen Yulin had to tell his guests he couldnt provide them with the internet. Others living on Matsu, one of Taiwans outlying islands [+8018 chars]