Could ham radio help Taiwan survive wartime internet outage?

DW (English)

Amid claims of China sabotaging Taiwan's undersea internet cables, some citizens are learning how to send and receive their own emergency communications.

Transcript

00:00This is not a role-playing game. It's a training exercise run by a Taiwanese civil defense group.

00:14They are practicing how to stay connected without internet access during a Chinese military attack.

00:21Their tools? Walkie-talkies.

00:30These walkie-talkies are not the toys children play with, which only work over short distances.

00:40This is a more advanced form of wireless radio technology, also known as amateur radios or ham radios.

00:47They operate on designated radio frequencies for non-commercial message exchanges and emergency communications.

00:54In Taiwan, using ham radios is a regulated hobby that requires a government-issued license.

01:02With the right gear and conditions, the signal can travel tens of kilometers or even around the world.

01:09In the exercise, participants split up into small groups.

01:28Their mission was to find accurate information and relay it to other teams using ham radios.

01:34Meanwhile, trainers try to interfere by feeding false information.

01:39indemnity

01:39When

01:41neighbors at

01:41moved

01:42They may have drawn

01:44any

01:46The standard

01:47We

01:48shouldn't have

01:50All the

01:50mm

01:51We

01:52If

01:52they

01:54They

01:54Nah

01:55They

01:56They

01:57So

01:58We

01:59We

02:00They

02:01We

02:02The training took place as concerns grow in Taiwan

02:13the over-weathered island is prepared

02:15for a potential internet blackout

02:17during a Chinese invasion.

02:20Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory

02:22and has staged seven major military drills

02:25around the island since 2022.

02:29There have also been instances of China-related vessels

02:32allegedly damaging undersea internet cables near Taiwan.

02:36These cables, which carry more than 90%

02:39of Taiwan's internet traffic,

02:41are considered the island's digital lifeline.

02:44If the internet goes dark,

02:46could these radios serve as a communication alternative

02:49for the Taiwanese?

02:50无线电它不是来取代我们的网路通讯的

02:56它其实是一个非常任务性的一个通讯工具

02:59就像我刚刚说的

03:00如果有进到团队协作的层次的话

03:02它就会变成一个必修

03:03如果说你的目标是

03:06准备好自己跟自己的家人的话

03:08那它不是

03:09还是回到所谓的通讯计划

03:11你跟家人之间如果发生失联的状况

03:14你们约定好的集合点在哪里

03:16像这样子的事前的沟通跟准备都是需要

03:20它其实不是在无线电里的范围里面

03:23For these Taiwanese, hand radio is more than a hobby

03:27It's a way to confront concerns about their home's future

03:32这有很深刻的危机感跟焦虑感

03:35我不想要因为资讯被中断

03:38我想要保持我的一个内在的安全感

03:42心里的安全感

03:43可以去知道什么样的资讯是正确的

03:47然后保障自己跟身边的人的安全

03:51很多人可能简单的换个灯泡

03:55或者是跳电了他没有办法处理

03:58那我觉得无线电或者是像基础水电这样子

04:01居家水电的东西

04:02它不仅是增加我们暂时的韧性

04:05它更多的是让台湾人去习惯自己解决问题的能力

04:09就算今天的冲突结束了

04:11我也会蛮希望像这样子的知识是可以继续留下去的这样子

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