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Taipei
In case of an attack by China on Taiwan's internet, the island nation will still be online, thanks to a satellite internet service it has developed.
It is similar to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet, which Taiwan had negotiated for before talks fell through. That happened because of Taiwan's insistence that a government entity must have a majority stake in any potential joint venture.
Taiwan has a war chest of $10 billion for developing a space industry that includes the satellite internet network. Part of that is for putting its first communications satellite into space, which is expected to happen by 2026.
Taiwan's satellite internet defence has been in the works for several years now and will be operational by the end of October.
Watch: China-Taiwan Tensions: What Happens If China Invades Taiwan?
The democratic nation's main telecom firm Chunghwa said that the coverage will be provided in collaboration with a UK-European company Eutelsat OneWeb, for which a deal was signed in 2023, The Guardian reported.
The low earth orbit satellite or LEO internet service will be able to provide 24-hour coverage by the end of October and commercial access is expected to follow soon, according to Chungwa co-president Alex Chien cited in the report.
Taiwan, a democratically governed island, is seen by China as a breakaway region that should be annexed back to the mainland, by force if needed.
A technology powerhouse, Taiwan has faced intense and consistent cyber attacks from China.
This is in addition to other threatening actions from China including its fighter jets violating Taiwan air space.
According to official data released on Tuesday (Oct 15), Taiwan spotted 153 Chinese military aircraft around its skies after China held military drills near the island.
The intimidation follows warnings from Beijing that it would crush any attempts at independence after Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te vowed to resist annexation attempts.
Also read: Taiwan President Lai vows to resist annexation amid China's growing pressure
The satellite internet service will utilise low earth orbit satellites, which are above the Earth in a range of 200 and 2,000 kilometres.
There are thousands of LEO satellites, more than half of which are operated by Musk's Starlink.
(With inputs from agencies)