Taiwan does not want more problems with China or with its submarine cables. So you have activated an unpublished security plan

Earlier this year and after what happened with an underwater cable that affected the only remaining link with the Matsu Islandsincident that occurred just a week after Another cable that connected the island was damagedTaiwan made an unprecedented decision. A call Washington ended with A two -year agreement so that the United States Army would disembark on the island and train the Taiwanese Navy. Actually, this is just part of the plan.

Protect cables as priority. Submarine cable infrastructure is the pillar of the global connectivity of most nations, But a little more for an island like Taiwana territory that depends almost in its entirety of these systems to guarantee the communication of its citizens, companies and government institutions.

To get an idea, any severe interruption in these links could not only leave the population incommunicado, affecting access to essential services such as mobile applications and digital platforms, but it would also have A critical impact on economic and government operations. The problem is that the fragility of these systems has been evidenced with the growing incident frequency In the cables that connect the enclave with its peripheral islands and with the world, which has raised concerns about the safety and resilience of this key infrastructure.

Alarming frequency of failures. Globally, The more than 450 existing underwater cable systems They experience damage in a range of 0.1 to 0.2 incidents (by cable) per year, which is equivalent to 50 and 100 annual failures worldwide. However, the situation in Taiwan is exceptionally critical. The cables that connect Matsu’s peripheral islands with the main island They suffer an average of 5.1 annual interruptions, which represents a frequency up to 50 times higher than the global average. This data underlines the level of vulnerability of communications and the urgent need to implement protection measures.

As we count, on January 22, The two submarine cables that connect Matsu with Taiwan were disconnectedwhich left the island is isolated digitally. According to the Taiwan Digital Affairs Ministry (Fashion), the cause was a “natural deterioration.” And it was not an isolated case: just a few weeks before, on January 3, a communications cable north of the main island, operated by Chunghwa Telecom, It was also cut, allegedly by a ship manned by Chinese citizens. The boat in question, Shunxing 39, was registered in Cameroon and Tanzania, which complicates the direct attribution of the attack.

Strategies to strengthen security. The result of the situation has been to activate An unprecedented plan, measures to reinforce the safety of their submarine cables. For example, telecommunications operators have deployed maritime patrols with the aim of warning of fishing vessels approaching sensitive areas. Likewise, the Taiwan Coast Guard has intensified surveillance through monitoring systems to trace boats in critical areas.

There are more. To improve redundancy in communications, fashion has implemented A subsidies program to encourage the construction of new stations International cable landing and the installation of backup systems. In addition, Taiwan has opted for the diversification of his communication systems through satellites.

In this sense, the government has signed Agreements with the European company SES for the deployment of medium orbit satellites (MEO) and with Oneweb for the incorporation of low orbit satellites (Leo). All measures that seek to guarantee the continuity of government and military communications in case of an emergency.

Legal challenges to protect cables. One of the main obstacles in the protection of submarine cables is the complexity of international legislation around these infrastructure. According to international maritime laws, if damage occurs within the territorial waters of a country, this may exercise jurisdiction on the incident.

The problem? That, if the affectation happens in an exclusive economic zone or in international waters, The responsibility falls to the country where the suspicious boat is registered. This legal framework generates significant barriers for the investigation and persecution of those responsible for deliberate sabotages. From there The problem in the Baltic with The “Ghost Ships”.

In response to these challenges, Taiwan has taken legislative measures to penalize intentional attacks against their submarine cables. The sanctions include prison sentences between one and seven years, in addition to fines that can reach 10 million Taiwanese dollars (approximately 300,000 US dollars).

And the United States. It We have recently. Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense has announced A two -year agreement with the United States to train the Taiwanese Navy In a context where the island’s Parliament is prepared to vote possible cuts in the budget for military training abroad. The agreement, valued at approximately 50 million Taiwanese dollars (1.5 million US dollars), stipulates that US Navy personnel will be sent to Taiwan to carry out a specialized naval training program.

The training sessions, in principle, will be held at the headquarters of the Navy and the Marines of Taiwan, located in the Zuoying district, near the city of Kaohsiung, in the south of the country. It is, therefore, The first time in history that the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense publicly recognizes the presence of US military coaches.

Regional Resilience. The numerous cases in recent months They have shown it. The protection of submarine cables, and more in Taiwan, is not only a national problem, but a matter of regional security. Any interruption in these infrastructure can affect their neighboring countries, which reinforces the need to establish strategic alliances for damage prevention and repair.

In this regard, Taiwan aims to work closely with its partners in Asia To strengthen cable repair capabilities, improve logistics and develop advanced monitoring technologies. In fact, a few weeks ago researchers from the University of Lisui in China They registered a patent for an anchor device designed to cut underwater cables efficiently. There is no evidence of its use in real attacks, but the simple existence of these technologies suggests that the risks to telecommunications could be intensified in the near future.

Image | 總統府

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