Taiwan-Matsu Subsea Cable No. 3 Severed; MODA Activates Backup Microwave Transmission and Speeds Up Repairs
On the afternoon of April 29, the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) received a notification from Chunghwa Telecom that the Taiwan-Matsu Subsea Cable No. 3 (TM3) had once again suffered a core wire break located approximately 2.64 kilometers off Dongyin in Matsu, causing a complete outage on the Beigan-Dongyin segment. The outage has affected roughly 1,500 residents living in the Dongyin Township, one of the four townships in Lienchiang County. The other three townships, including Nangan, Beigan, and Juguang, remain unaffected. Chunghwa Telecom has implemented traffic rerouting in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure stable communication in Dongyin.
MODA pointed out that Chunghwa Telecom had previously reported a partial core wire damage at the same location in the TM3 cable on March 30. Now the cable has sustained further damage, resulting in a complete outage. Chunghwa Telecom’s preliminary assessments suggested that the cause of malfunction may be poor sea conditions, which displaced old wreckage of stranded boats and damaged the subsea cable.
MODA stated it had promptly confirmed that Chunghwa Telecom had activated backup microwave transmission in accordance with the SOPs to maintain stable connectivity in Dongyin. Voice communications and internet services previously transmitted via the subsea cable have been switched to microwave transmission. Currently, mobile phone, voice, and cellular data services in Dongyin remain operational, although some internet services may experience minor delays due to weather conditions. In addition, cable television services are not supported via microwave transmission, as conversion equipment is unavailable. MODA has requested Chunghwa Telecom to actively coordinate cable ships for repairs. If the sea conditions permit, repairs are expected to be completed by the end of July 2026.
MODA urges the public not to be affected by rumors or false information online. For accurate information, please refer to the latest news on MODA’s website: https://gov.tw/oXi.