Communication between Taiwan, Matsu back to normal: Chunghwa Telecom

Taipei, Jan. 24 (CNA) Chunghwa Telecom said Thursday that communication between Taiwan and Matsu Islands has been restored via undersea cable after a partial repair of the No. 2 cable, one of two damaged earlier this month.

Chunghwa Telecom, which owns and operates all 10 domestic undersea cables in Taiwan, said in a news release on Thursday evening that transmission through the No. 2 undersea cable was restored at 11:40 a.m. on Wednesday.

The restoration was achieved following "core wire-by-core wire testing and timely emergency repairs by Chunghwa Telecom staff," the company said.

Microwave communication, in use since that morning, reverted to serving as a backup, Chunghwa Telecom added.

The Taiwan-Matsu No. 2 and No. 3 undersea communication cables, which link Taiwan and the outlying Matsu Islands, were disconnected following "natural deterioration." The Ministry of Digital Affairs said the No. 2 cable severed at around 5 a.m. on Wednesday and the No. 3 cable on Jan. 15.

The work to repair the No. 3 cable is ongoing.

To fully repair both cables, the telecom service provider said it was "actively" coordinating with international undersea cable repair ships and hoped they would come to Taiwan to inspect and repair them.

"Repairs are expected to be completed in the near term, sea conditions permitting, to provide Matsu Islands with more stable communication service and quality," said Chunghwa Telecom, which is 35.29 percent owned by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

Meanwhile, the international Trans-Pacific Express (TPE) cable, responsible for handling communication traffic between Taiwan and other countries, was repaired on Jan. 20 after being cut on Jan. 3, Chunghwa Telecom said.

A China-related freighter is suspected of damaging the TPE cable 68.17 kilometers from Chunghwa Telecom's Tamsui cable station off Taiwan's northern coast.

Chunghwa Telecom said that after the incident, the company contacted the relevant agency in Yokohama, Japan, to dispatch a repair ship.

With repairs completed on Jan. 20, communication between Taiwan and countries including the United States, Japan and South Korea started being funneled back through the TPE cable, which is now operating normally, the company added.

Taiwan currently has 14 international undersea communication cables and 10 domestic cables.