Early on January 22, the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) received a report that the Taiwan-Matsu No. 2 subsea cable had likely broken due to aging wires. Since the Taiwan-Matsu No. 3 cable had already been reported as wholly damaged earlier, both main subsea communication lines between Taiwan and Matsu were broken. To keep communication running, the Ministry immediately instructed Chunghwa Telecom to activate the microwave transmission backup system, ensuring that phone and internet services between Taiwan and Matsu remain functional. Meanwhile, Chunghwa Telecom has coordinated subsea cable ships to restore the Taiwan-Matsu No. 2 and No.3  subsea cables.

The National Communications and Cyber Security Center (NCCSC) confirmed the break was offshore in New Taipei City. After the incident, Chunghwa Telecom turned on the microwave backup system, ensuring that phone calls and internet services remained unaffected. If the sea surface condition allows, the repairs on the subsea cables will be completed as early as February.

Upon receiving the breakdown report, the Ministry asked Chunghwa Telecom to activate the backup measures according to its Critical Infrastructure (CI) safety management plan. The Ministry has also ensured that critical services—such as those in government offices, banks, and hospitals—are given priority for network access. During the Lunar New Year holiday, Matsu residents can still withdraw cash from ATMs and make credit card and online transactions without interruption.

Additionally, the Ministry of Digital Affairs explained that nine satellite stations were built in Matsu under a communications resilience establishment project initiated by the Ministry. These stations are now being activated as an extra layer of backup for microwave communication, ensuring that the government and emergency services can continue to communicate securely even if other backup systems fail.  

Due to multiple past incidents, the Executive Yuan has officially approved the classification of Taiwan-Matsu subsea cables as critical infrastructure, which means that the operators of CI must enforce stronger protection measures and backup systems and review them regularly. According to the “Backup for Backups” strategy, the government requires the CI operators to improve communication stability for offshore islands like Matsu, as well as to strengthen their emergency communication networks and introduce multiple alternative communication methods to prevent future disruptions.

The Ministry has subsidized Chunghwa Telecom to expand the microwave transmission capacity as the major backup for subsea cables. Meanwhile, MODA also subsidized the company to construct the Taiwan-Matsu No. 4 subsea cable, which will be completed in June 2026. This new cable will add an extra communication route, reducing the risk of significant disruptions in the future and improving overall internet reliability for Matsu residents.