Houston, TX, August 13, 2026 —

TAIPEI – Taiwan initiated a 30-minute mobile internet slowdown, reducing speeds to text-only, across Taipei and six additional cities on Tuesday. The measure was part of the island’s annual Han Kuang military exercises, designed to simulate responses to a potential invasion by China.

The drills involved civilian participation and focused on testing the resilience of urban infrastructure and communication networks during a crisis. During the simulated event, mobile data services were intentionally throttled to text message speeds, mirroring a scenario where communication systems might be degraded or attacked.

Residents and tourists in the affected areas experienced temporary inconvenience due to the reduced internet connectivity. However, many understood the exercise as a necessary preparation for maintaining essential communications in the face of escalating regional tensions with mainland China.

The Han Kuang exercises are Taiwan’s largest annual military drill, and this year’s iteration included a specific focus on preparing for potential cyberattacks and disruptions to civilian services, such as telecommunications. The simulation aimed to assess the effectiveness of emergency response plans and the public’s ability to adapt to severely limited communication channels.

Officials stated that the objective of the internet slowdown was to test how critical communication could be maintained, even under duress, and to practice protocols for such an eventuality. The drills are a regular feature of Taiwan’s defense readiness, reflecting ongoing concerns about security in the Indo-Pacific region.



Story summarized from the original created by Johnson Lai And Huizhong Wu, Associated Press on www.click2houston.com, see more information here.

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