Taiwan Tests Slow Internet for Emergency Preparedness
Saturday, 2026/08/15143 words2 minutes872 reads
On August 13, 2026, mobile internet users in Taipei and six other northern Taiwan cities experienced an unusual situation. Their mobile data was deliberately slowed to 256 Kbps for 30 minutes. This was not a technical failure but a planned urban-resilience exercise.
The exercise was part of Taiwan's annual Han Kuang defense drills. It tested how people could communicate if mobile infrastructure were damaged during an emergency. At 256 Kbps, users could barely exchange more than text messages. Video streaming, video calls, online maps, and mobile payments became nearly impossible.
However, voice calls, SMS text messages, and emergency alerts remained available. Fixed broadband and Wi-Fi connections were not affected. The exercise also included air-raid and evacuation simulations at metro stations. Officials advised people to prepare important information in advance, highlighting the importance of having backup communication methods when mobile data becomes extremely limited.
