wiredInUSA January 2018

“Vulnerable cables” warning

Call for infrastructure investment

Submarine cables forming the backbone of Taiwan’s communications with the rest of the world may have long been targeted by the Chinese military, and are high on the list of priority targets to be destroyed by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) should cross-strait relations once again deteriorate into belligerence. Eli Huang, special assistant to former Taiwan deputy defense minister Lin Chong-pin, made the comments in the National Interest magazine. The article refers to the submarine cables as Taiwan’s Achilles’ heel. Thereareat least ten international submarine cables between Taiwan and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. Damaging Taiwan’s cables would disrupt international business and financial markets, wreaking havoc on neighboring countries that share close economic and military ties with the island. The article also speculates on the PLA’s military use of its extensive cable network through the South China Sea, especially since state-owned China Telecom linked Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef and Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands with ultra-fast fiber optic cables. The network creates a strategic advantage in anti-submarine warfare for the Chinese navy by forming an underwater observation system of subsurface sensors.

The Malaysian communications and multimedia ministry has said that investment in a comprehensive fiber optic network and in telecommunication towers is required to bring high speed Internet to the country. The setting up of a comprehensive communication network infrastructure would require enormous spending, taking into account hilly terrains and the vast area involved. The ministry added that the government has outlined several initiatives on fiber optic systems, such as the high speed broadband (HSBB) and suburban broadband (SuBB) projects, to deliver connectivity to a wider population. The successful roll-out of the first phase of the HSBB project resulted in Malaysia achieving the highest number of high speed broadband subscribers in southeast Asia. In December 2015, Telekom Malaysia Bhd signed two public-private partnership agreements with the government to implement HSBB phase 2 and the SuBB. HSBB 2 will see the expansion of the previous HSBB infrastructure, and will cover state capitals and major towns, while SuBB will cover suburban and rural areas, including educational institutions.

wiredInUSA - January 2018

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