In a remote archipelago off the coast of mainland China, 13,000 locals found themselves in digital blackout earlier this year.< /p>
An accident in the Taiwanese-administered Matsu Islands but located just over 10 miles from China was blamed on Chinese fishing boats that cut its submarine cables.
After 50 days, Full Communication was restored on March 31st. But the glitch, the latest in a string of similar incidents, has added urgency to Taiwan's calls to beef up its communications security.
Taiwan, which relies on undersea cables to stay connected to the global network, needs to «strengthen the security and resilience of national communications» — said Wen Lii, a Matsu politician at the time.
In Taipei, the focus is on building or acquiring a back-up satellite communications network that can withstand future unrest, natural disasters, or protracted conflicts with Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own territory.
An effort led by Audrey Tang, 42- summer digital minister of a country that made headlines in 2016 as the world's first non-binary cabinet-level minister.
>Taiwan Digital Minister Audrey Tang is exploring options for satellite communications, including using Starlink Mask. Kwok/Eevine
The obvious candidate is Elon Musk's Starlink. The satellite network has brought the Internet to hundreds of thousands of people in remote areas. A satellite network of 4,000 satellites orbiting some 350 miles above the earth has played a critical role in keeping Ukraine connected in its battle against the Russian invasion.
“Seeing Starlink play an important role as a backbone of communication in Ukraine naturally encourages Taiwan to follow suit,” says Wen-Ti Sung, an Australian National University lecturer who says it is a “natural partner.” /p>
However, Musk's remarks about Taiwan's sovereignty and its close business ties with China complicate any deal. “Starlink has been incredibly useful for Ukraine,” said Scott Bade, senior analyst at Eurasia Group. But while Taiwan «would really like Starlink, they don't trust Musk,» he says.
Taiwanese politicians have chided Musk for his earlier remarks about the island nation. In May, Musk said in an interview that it was «certainly inevitable» that China would one day try to «integrate» Taiwan.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry responded on Twitter, saying, «Mr. Elon Musk, besides money, there is something what we call values. Similar undiplomatic comments last year were criticized by Taiwanese politicians as «ill-informed and degrading».
Tesla, Musk's electric vehicle company, has a huge factory in Shanghai, with China generating about a fifth of its revenue. Musk recently visited China and received a warm welcome. He flew in on May 30, days after his comments about Taiwan's «integration.» Foreign Minister Qin Gang owns a large electric vehicle factory in Shanghai in May. Photo: AFP
Taiwan has already been in lengthy negotiations with Starlink to use its service since 2019. However, those discussions came to a halt in 2022, Bloomberg reported last month, as Musk demanded full control of any venture.
And while Starlink is vital to Ukraine's defense, Musk has redlined its use by blocking it from long-range drone strikes against Russia for fear of fueling nuclear tensions.
>Taipei rules state that any telecommunications joint venture in the country must be 51% locally owned. Li Huairen, a spokesman for Taiwan's digital ministry, confirmed that foreign ownership is capped at 49 percent.
«In terms of national security, we want complete autonomy,» says Jason Xu, a former member of Taiwan's parliament and a technology entrepreneur. and conditions that our government can control.”
There is a risk that «Taiwan could be compromised» if it only relied on Musk, Xu says, «or be used as a chip on the table.»
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Musk has traditionally refused to transfer any control over their businesses. Even in China, which is notorious for forcing international companies to transfer ownership, it has managed to keep 100 percent of Tesla's local business under its control.
Last December, the Taiwan Space Agency announced plans for a stable low-orbit satellite network of 100 to 120 spacecraft to boost communications.
Charles Mok, a former Hong Kong legislator, says Taiwan «cannot rely on Starlink.» As an option. That's why the company funded its own research and contacted the Europeans.”
Tan, Taiwan's digital minister, made a rare visit to Europe in June, meeting with MPs and lords in the UK. as Security Minister Tom Tugendhat.
A political radical and talented coder who once described herself as living «almost exclusively on the Internet,» Tang also made a surprise visit to the headquarters of OneWeb, a British satellite company, in part owned by the taxpayer.
OneWeb is also developing a satellite network of more than 600 satellites that orbit the Earth to provide remote and emergency Internet connectivity.
After the visit, Tang told Taiwanese media that OneWeb is «very eager» to help with the government's project to build emergency network of satellite ground terminals. A OneWeb spokesperson declined to comment.
In an official report, Taipei's digital ministry said the country was hit by «earthquakes and foreign forces» that damaged its submarine cables, and urged the industry to «come together» to «achieve communication resilience.»
On Wednesday, the digital ministry also said it plans to work with SES, a satellite company headquartered in Luxembourg, on geostationary satellites that orbit high above the earth.
The ministry said it plans to build a network of more than 770 satellite terminals by the end of 2024 to ensure communications amid the threat of intrusion. The spokesperson said he «looks forward to working» with SES and OneWeb on this project.
Whether he chooses to rely on OneWeb or Starlink, Taiwan also has domestic manufacturing capacity to scale up its own efforts. meanwhile, international allies provide the capability. Taipei is also seeking outside investment for its own low-orbit satellite network.
Chinese Semiconductor
“Taiwan has explored its own capabilities,” says Xu, a former member of parliament. He adds that the country should also seek to forge an alliance with Pacific allies such as Japan, South Korea, and Australia as a «shield of defense and communication.»
Mok agrees: «Taiwan should cooperate more closely with his friendly neighbors face the same challenges.”
The country is critical to the world's semiconductor supply, hosting some of the world's most productive chip manufacturing plants, which is critical for satellite development at home and for allies.
The island has typically relied on US launch partners , including working with Musk's SpaceX to put satellites into orbit, but also working on his own domestic rocket program.
Nevertheless, the chances of a Taiwanese Starlink deal seem unlikely. The New York Times reported that during a recent visit by members of Congress to Taiwan, US officials extolled the virtues of Starlink. However, after meeting with Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan, they were under the impression that the rapprochement was «not viable.»
It's not just Taipei that is wary of Starlink Mask. China expressed concern that the system is a tool of the US military. One military newspaper in China ran a headline: «Beware of barbaric expansion and Starlink military applications.» China is currently working on its own competing system.
It looks like Starlink is unlikely to be welcomed on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
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