TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's telecommunications provider Chunghwa Telecom (CHT, 中華電信) moved swiftly Tuesday (Sept. 2) to dispel concerns about widespread undersea cable failures affecting data transmission between Taiwan and Singapore. The company clarified that its domestic infrastructure remains fully operational despite alarming reports from Taiwan's undersea cable monitoring platform about eight to nine international cable breaks, including EAC2, EAC1, C2C, RNAL, and FNAL systems. CHT emphasized that domestic cables, repaired earlier this year, continue functioning without breaks.
The telecommunications giant emphasized that the compromised international cables, including EAC2, EAC1, C2C, RNAL, and FNAL systems, fall outside its investment portfolio and operational responsibility. CHT's own international cable services continue operating at full capacity without disruption to customers. The company maintains investments in over 14 international cables linking Taiwan to global networks and actively pursues additional investments to strengthen redundancy and mitigate communication risks through comprehensive backup systems.
Industry experts observed that the monitoring platform's reported cable faults have resulted in reduced internet speeds for certain users, though no major communication disasters have occurred. Taiwan experienced significant undersea cable disruptions earlier this year, with incidents in January and February involving a Chinese vessel that severed cables, resulting in a three-year prison sentence for the Chinese captain. Natural factors caused additional damage in late January, heightening concerns about Taiwan's communication infrastructure security. ◼