Latest / GNN Daily Breaking News / Taiwan Throttles Mobile Internet During War Games

Transcript

Taiwan Throttles Mobile Internet During War Games · GNN Daily Breaking News

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Taiwan has taken the unprecedented step of throttling mobile internet
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: access nationwide during its annual wargames, a move officials say
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: is designed to test resilience against potential Chinese cyber attacks.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: The restrictions imposed on August ninth slowed mobile data speeds
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: across major cities, leaving millions of users with limited connectivity
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: as military drills unfolded. The Ministry of Digital Affairs confirmed
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: the measure, describing it as a controlled stress test to
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: evaluate how critical infrastructure would perform under hostile conditions. Officials
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: emphasized that the throttling was temporary and targeted at mobile networks,
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: not fixed broadband, ensuring essential services remained online. The war
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: games themselves simulated a full scale Chinese blockade of Taiwan,
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: including cyber intrusions, missile strikes, and naval encirclement. By throttling
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: mobile internet, authorities aimed to mimic the disruption of communications
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: that could occur in a real conflict, forcing businesses, government agencies,
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: and citizens to adapt. Public reaction was mixed. Some residents
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: expressed frustration at the sudden slow down, noting difficulties with
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: mobile payments, navigation apps, and social media. Others supported the measure,
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: viewing it as a necessary precaution in light of escalating
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Military analysts say the move
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: highlights Taiwan's growing focus on digital defense as much as
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: physical defense. In recent years, Chinese cyber operations have targeted
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: Taiwanese government websites, media outlets, and financial institutions by deliberately
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: restricting mobile internet. Taiwan is testing how society would cope
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: if those attacks succeeded. The drills also included live fire exercises,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: naval maneuvers, and air defense simulations. Officials stressed the the
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: throttling was not a permanent policy, but could be repeated
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: in future wargames to strengthen preparedness for Taiwan. The decision
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: underscores a new reality in modern warfare. The battlefield is
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: not only on land, sea, and air, but also in cyberspace.
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: For its people, the disruption was a glimpse of how
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: daily life could be appended if conflict with China escalates.