I was in Taichung when this year’s urban resilience exercises began in central Taiwan on Monday last week.
For the first time, the air raid drills included a mobile Internet “throttling” scenario. This did not mean that mobile Internet was entirely cut off; rather it simulated limited communications through measures such as slowing mobile networks.
Before the exercises began, authorities advised people who needed Internet access to use fixed-line connections or indoor Wi-Fi.
For most people, a half hour of slower Internet would, at most, amount to a minor inconvenience in their daily lives.
It is hard not to wonder: If I was in Kyiv, Moscow, Tehran or Tel Aviv, would slower Internet really be the only thing I have to worry about?
A real air raid would not be announced in advance, nor would it last just 30 minutes. When air raid sirens sound, people could be confronted with explosions, power outages, communication disruptions and even threats to their lives. Seen in this light, the inconvenience people in Taichung experienced was a small price to pay.
It is for this reason that I commend the armed forces, government agencies, the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the National Communications Commission and the telecoms that took part in the exercises. It is precisely because people are willing to prepare, conduct drills and coordinate during peacetime that they know what to do when communications are restricted, even in calm environments.
With the advent of high-tech tactics and strategies, the battlefield is no longer simply about guns and ammunition. The Internet, communications and essential services could all affect the functioning of society. Taiwan cannot predict what methods adversaries would employ, but at the very least, it can ensure the nation is prepared.
This is not just a matter for the military. The government must clearly define responsibilities, businesses must maintain essential services and the public must know what they can do when a crisis occurs. The more Taiwanese understand and practice during peacetime, the less likely they are to panic when a crisis strikes.
In peaceful times, these exercises inevitably bring some inconvenience to our daily lives, but if that inconvenience leads to greater preparedness when a real crisis strikes, it is worth it. We do not know what we might face, but there is one thing we can do: Ensure that Taiwan is prepared.
Hung Yu-jui is a translator and Japanese-language teacher based in Taiwan who writes on public policy and social issues.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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