Taiwan throttles internet speeds in drill for Chinese attack

• Taiwan throttles mobile internet during war drill.
• Taipei holds citywide air raid simulation.
• Han Kuang drills prepare for potential China invasion.
• Test exposes risks of communications disruption.

Millions of people across Taiwan were directed indoors while mobile internet speeds were restricted for 30 minutes on Thursday as part of a simulation testing the island democracy's defense against a potential Chinese attack.

The exercise was conducted as part of Taiwan's annual "Han Kuang" military drills, which aim to prepare the population of 23 million for a potential military invasion by China, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has threatened annexation by force.

Loud sirens sounded across Taipei at 2:30 pm (0630 GMT), signaling the start of the annual air raid drill. Police redirected traffic and guided pedestrians into underground shelters, including parking garages, subway stations, shopping malls, and office buildings, leaving normally crowded streets quiet.

First-time internet speed reduction

For the first time, the civil defense simulation incorporated a intentional reduction in mobile internet speeds.

The measure briefly restricted access to messaging applications, video calls, live streaming platforms, and food delivery services to replicate the impact of Chinese strikes on communications infrastructure.

"I do think that when you can't get in touch with people... other people may worry about me, and I worry about them as well," Ashley Hou, a 23-year-old graduate student, told AFP from an underground pedestrian tunnel. "It makes you think about how you would handle the situation if (emergencies) were to happen for real."

Jimmy Chu, 22, was delayed on his way to work when the sirens sounded and was unable to immediately answer a message from his supervisor.

"I understand that this is meant to simulate an internet disruption that would likely occur in the event of a war, so even though it had negative effects, I can understand," Chu said.

A 62-year-old shopkeeper surnamed Hsu suggested that such drills ought to take place "every three to six months" to build awareness among residents who "have been living in a very safe environment."

Ahead of the exercise, Ben Lewis, an analyst for the analysis website PLATracker, commented to AFP on the objective of the digital restriction:

"Whether it's going to reflect a total internet shutdown, I think is unlikely. But I think having people get a sense of how it may feel to have an internet disruption is important," Lewis said. "I think also to test the resilience of civilian communications and internet systems is very important."

Underground medical drills 

The 10-day Han Kuang exercises, set to wrap up on Friday, have involved staged combat scenarios for Taiwanese military troops and reservists.

On Wednesday, navy and coast guard vessels carried out a joint exercise east of the island to escort a ship through a simulated Chinese maritime blockade.

In a hospital near Taipei on Thursday, medical personnel converted an underground parking lot into a functioning wartime healthcare facility.

Hospital worker Gary Chen, 39, lay in an intensive care unit (ICU) bed pretending to be in critical condition during the scenario.

"If I play the role of a patient and actually experience and understand the situation, I think it can help me with some of my emergency responses in the future," Chen told AFP.

ICU nurse Lily Ku, 30, noted that the training focused on logistical adaptations during active warfare.

"Staff were learning how to move the hospital beds down to the basement and make the transition," Ku stated. "The resources would be different so we would simplify everything."