
Taiwan builds satellite system to stay online should China attack
Taiwan is building a satellite system to secure communications in the event of a Chinese attack. Currently, Taiwan is linked to the rest of the world by 15 submarine cables, which could become a prime target for a PLA attack. Already last year, residents of Matsu were left without internet for weeks, after two underwater cables were damaged by passing ships.
More than a thousand low-orbit satellites make up SpaceX’s Starlink, a satellite internet constellation. The system has provided internet service in the warzones of Ukraine and Gaza and at natural disaster sites, allowing locals to connect with the outside world when ground telecoms equipment is damaged. But the system is largely under the control of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
Elon Musk
SpaceX CEO
The policy has been to reunite Taiwan with China. From that standpoint, it is maybe analogous to Hawaii.
Due to Tesla’s business interests in China, Musk has made clear his pro-China sentiments. Taiwan currently does not have access to Starlink. Its connectivity, which depends on 15 submarine cables, is at risk if China were to attack. Last year, Matsu was left without internet after two of the cables were severed.
Reporter
If the internet or the communication lines were cut, Taiwan could go into the dark, right? Without this.
Wu Jong-shinn
Taiwan Space Agency
Yes, I think so.
CNN spoke with Wu Jong-shinn, director-general of the Taiwan Space Agency. It asked about Taiwan’s multi-billion U.S. dollar program to build its own version of Starlink, to ensure secure communications.
Wu Jong-shinn
Taiwan Space Agency
China is rising up in space tech. For example, Taiwan has these political difficulties internationally, as you know. But in space there is no country divisions, there’s no boundaries.
The Taiwan Space Agency is developing two communication satellites, the first of which could be launched by 2026. But according to an Australian expert, Taiwan would need at least 50 satellites to provide, quote, “fairly decent” emergency coverage. He said that for reliable bandwidth, hundreds of satellites would be required, and the more the better, provided that there’s enough funding to launch them all.
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2024-05-28