Chunghwa Telecom switches to microwave for Matsu users

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Chunghwa Telecom (中華電信) announced on Thursday (Jan. 23) that the company swiftly switched to microwave transmission to ensure uninterrupted communication services for Matsu users after a natural wear and tear issue caused a malfunction in the Taiwan-Matsu No. 2 submarine cable at 5:34 a.m. on Jan. 22.

On Jan. 20, Chunghwa Telecom completed repairs on the Trans-Pacific Express (TPE) cable, damaged by a foreign cargo ship, restoring Taiwan's international communications. By 11:40 a.m. on Jan. 22, the Taiwan-Matsu No. 2 cable had resumed partial core transmission, with microwave transmission as a backup.

The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA, 數發部) noted that the Taiwan-Matsu No. 3 cable had also faced an issue due to natural degradation on Jan. 15, while the No. 2 cable reported a fault on Jan. 22.

Chunghwa Telecom has coordinated the arrival of an international submarine cable repair vessel to Taiwan, aiming to complete inspections of the Taiwan-Matsu No. 2 and No. 3 cables soon, enhancing Matsu's communication service quality.

The company emphasized that Taiwan-Matsu communications have expanded microwave bandwidth to 12.6 Gbps, meeting comprehensive communication needs between Taiwan and Matsu. They plan to complete the Taiwan-Matsu No. 4 cable construction by mid-2026.

With these efforts, Chunghwa Telecom aims to ensure seamless connectivity for Matsu residents and bolster Taiwan's communication infrastructure resilience.