Taiwan-Matsu dual submarine cable telecommunication restored

Taipei, March 14 (CNA) The second of two submarine telecommunication cables between Taiwan and Matsu Islands that suffered complete disconnections earlier this year was repaired on Friday, restoring dual-cable transmission between the two locations, the company which operates the cables said.

Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., the largest integrated telecom service provider in Taiwan, made the announcement in a press release, saying that the restoration "ensures more stable telecommunications services for Matsu, with microwave transmission serving as a full-bandwidth backup."

Since the beginning of the year, the No. 2 and No. 3 fiber-optic undersea cables between Taiwan's main island and Matsu, its island group off southeastern China, have experienced consecutive disconnections.

The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) has attributed the damage of the cables linking Taiwan and Matsu to "natural deterioration."

In its press statement on Friday, Chunghwa Telecom said that the No. 2 cable sustained partial core fiber breaks on Sept. 22 last year and Jan. 22 this year.

On Feb. 16, the cable suffered a complete break approximately 30 kilometers off the coast of Tamsui District, New Taipei, in northern Taiwan, it said.

In response, communication between Taiwan and Matsu was automatically rerouted through full-bandwidth microwave backup to ensure uninterrupted service, the company said, adding that it also coordinated with an international submarine cable maintenance organization to dispatch a repair vessel to Taiwan.

According to Chunghwa Telecom, after completing repairs on the No. 3 cable on March 2, the repair vessel proceeded to the waters off Tamsui and Matsu's Dongyin islet to fix the No. 2 cable.

As of Friday morning, repairs at both the Tamsui and Dongyin ends of the cables have been completed, restoring dual-cable communication between Taiwan and Matsu, the company said.