Network Slowdown Drill Sparks Controversy! College Student Releases Video Lamenting 'Disaster Without Internet' – Ge Ru-jun: 'Even Students Understand, But the Government Doesn't'

The 2026 Urban Resilience (Air Defense) Drill will include its first large-scale mobile network slowdown exercise, scheduled for 30 minutes in central and northern regions on August 10 and 13 respectively, sparking public discussion.

Kuomintang legislator Ge Ru-jun revealed on the 7th that he received a letter from a communications major student who independently produced a video expressing concerns about the drill, prompting Ge to say, "I'm deeply moved, yet also heartbroken." He criticized the government for implementing network throttling under the guise of national security, noting that related public guidance and alert systems have already caused public resentment.

According to the content of the video 'Disaster Without Internet' shared by Ge, the student begins by asking: "Have you ever thought about what you would do if your phone couldn’t access the internet—not for 30 seconds, but for 30 minutes?" The video highlights essential daily services such as navigation, online money transfers, ride-hailing, food delivery, and mobile payments, questioning the potential impact on civilian life.

The video further expresses dissatisfaction with phrases like: "You pay for 5G but only get 2G speeds; you bought unlimited data, yet are throttled for 30 minutes." The student argues that "true resilience means backup systems immediately take over after primary network failure, ensuring uninterrupted rescue command," casting doubt on whether the drill genuinely enhances communication resilience.

Ge Ru-jun lamented that students, who could otherwise be creating or enjoying fun videos, now have to spend time producing short films to voice their concerns, sighing, "Even students understand this—why doesn’t the government?" He criticized the current approach as turning into "drills of drills" and "pre-announcements of pre-announcements," warning that frequent alerts may lead to public alert fatigue.

Ge concluded with a call: "Reject false national security, reject false alarms; demand real drills, not actual network shutdowns!" However, the Executive Yuan has emphasized that this measure involves "network throttling, not a complete blackout," and confirmed that critical public services—including hospital communications, transportation systems, and emergency numbers 119 and 110—will continue operating normally.

The Executive Yuan previously announced that seven counties and cities in central Taiwan will conduct the drill from 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM on August 10, while seven in northern Taiwan will do so at the same time on August 13. Officials stress this is "not a blackout, but throttling," meaning voice calls, SMS, and text messaging remain functional, though high-bandwidth services like video streaming, video calls, mobile payments, and cloud synchronization may be affected.

For more exclusive reports from Feng Media: • Travelers beware: Will slow networks prevent e-ticket access on高铁 or overseas trips? Impact of internet disruption drills and 3 key precautions • Han Kuang Exercise: Racing against time! Mirage 2000 jets scramble within 6 minutes—runway repair process exposed • Han Kuang Exercise: No highway use! The 99th Land Brigade conducts long-range mobility from Kaohsiung to Greater Taipei, verifying cross-regional ground reinforcement