Lienchiang: Premier Cho Jung-tai on Friday launched a new Taiwan-Matsu subsea cable, calling it part of the government's "preemptive preparations" to bolster communications resilience. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in the offshore county of Lienchiang, Cho said local residents had experienced repeated internet disruptions, prompting them to travel to Taipei to lodge complaints with the central government.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Taiwan-Matsu Subsea Cable No. 4, built by Dong Fang Offshore, spans 294 kilometers and connects New Taipei's Bali District with Dongyin, Nangan, and Juguang townships in Lienchiang County. Cho stated that the new subsea communications cable was part of the government's efforts to make data transmission more stable and resilient, ensuring continuity during natural disasters or man-made events. In the event of damage to other cables, the new infrastructure will serve as a "backup" for other undersea cables connecting Taiwan's main island and the Matsu Islands.

The premier also outlined plans to further strengthen communications resilience in the area. "Looking ahead, whether it is subsea cables, microwaves, or low-orbit satellites, capacity will far exceed demand here. We're making preemptive preparations," Cho said. He expressed hope that the new cable would bring communications services in Matsu up to the standard available on Taiwan proper.

The launch follows a series of disruptions to fiber-optic cables between Taiwan's main island and Lienchiang County since February 2023. In one of the most high-profile incidents, a Chinese fishing boat and a cargo ship damaged the Taiwan-Matsu Subsea Cables No. 2 and No. 3 on February 2 and February 8, 2023, respectively, disrupting data transmissions for almost two months. Cable deterioration has also caused disruptions, with Chunghwa Telecom attributing two separate incidents involving the No. 2 and No. 3 cables in January 2025 to "natural deterioration."