Authorities in Taiwan intentionally slowed mobile internet speeds to text-only levels in several regions Thursday as part of a defense exercise. The 30-minute slowdown affected residents in the capital city of Taipei and six other localities during the final phase of the island's annual military drills.
The activity was part of the Han Kuang exercises, which began last week to simulate responses to a potential military invasion. Tensions have remained high in the region as China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, frequently deploys military aircraft and naval vessels toward the island. Taiwan's Defense Ministry reported that 18 Chinese warplanes and 11 navy ships operated around the island between Wednesday and Thursday morning.
During the exercise, telecommunications providers restricted mobile web traffic to 256 Kbps, a speed that permits text communication but limits data-heavy applications. This marked a shift toward more disruptive, real-world simulations compared to previous years, where urban resilience drills often occurred without interrupting public services like the metro system. President Lai Ching-te described the measures as a necessary part of the drill and requested public support for the inconvenience.
The scale of the exercise reflects a broader strategic shift by the Taiwanese government to integrate civilian infrastructure and local government coordination into military planning. By deliberately disrupting the daily routines of workers, students, and tourists, officials are testing the resilience of urban centers under stress. This transition from non-disruptive drills to active service interruptions serves as a practical test for telecommunications operators and emergency services to see how communication channels function when bandwidth is severely limited.
The exercise also targeted the healthcare sector, with President Lai visiting a hospital to observe the relocation of critical operations to underground facilities. These maneuvers set a precedent for future Han Kuang exercises, suggesting that residents should expect more frequent or intense interruptions to public utilities and transportation during scheduled drills. Following the conclusion of this final phase on Thursday, the military will continue its broader efforts to increase defense purchases and reservist training in response to daily patrols by Chinese warplanes and ships.