In late April, submarine cables to Taiwan’s outlying island of Matsu were once again cut – something that has happened more than 20 times in the last five years.
The most notable incident was in 2023, when Matsu’s primary two submarine cables were both cut. As a result, residents of Matsu were left without internet access for over 50 days, while the island waited for repair vessels to fix the cut cables. Though emergency microwave transmitters were activated, sending a text message took around 20 minutes. Crowds seeking a signal gathered around Chunghwa Telecom stores with stronger connection even in the cold night.
The April 2026 incident marked the third time in the past four years that the No. 3 cable connecting Beigan and Dongyin in Matsu has been cut. The cut impacted the 1,500 residents of Dongyin Township, who can continue to access mobile, voice, and data services, but will be impacted by reduced connectivity.
Amid the repeated disruptions, China has increasingly come under criticism. Some allege that Chinese vessels are deliberately cutting submarine cables as a means of sabotaging communication infrastructure in Taiwan. Although alarm has been raised in the past regarding Chinese patents for technology that could be used to cut submarine cables, most allegations are that China cuts cables through a simpler method: by having ships drag anchors over them. This tactic costs little, allows for plausible deniability, and can be accomplished by a wide range of ships.
