• By Fang Wei-li and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Taiwan needs to develop independent communications satellites to replace China-made telecommunications services in overseas missions and build resilience in digital communications, Taiwanese academics said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an annual cyber security inspection, found that some of its overseas missions could not replace Chinese telecommunications services or use alternatives because local telecommunications services are programmed to operate on branded devices Chinese or local telecommunications market is monopolized by Chinese companies. , a report by the Legislative Yuan Budget Center said last month.

Asked for comment, Associate Researcher Tzeng Yi-suo (曾怡碩) of the National Defense and Security Research Institute said on Saturday that a feasible solution was to purchase reliable satellite communications systems.

Photo: Reuters

It also reflects the need to build an independent satellite communications network to ensure Taiwan’s national security and digital communications resilience, he said.

Overseas missions have used end-to-end encryption for daily communications, but the risk of data being manipulated or intercepted by enemies remains even if they have switched to Taiwanese-made systems and equipment, Tzeng said.

The risk could increase if the data is transmitted through undersea communication cables and passes through countries hostile to Taiwan, he added.

Although satellite communication has limited bandwidth, it is a reliable communication channel for personnel in overseas missions when combined with a risk classification approach, Tzeng said.

Instead of avoiding satellite communications, it makes more sense to introduce systems with robust backup mechanisms that are confidential, comprehensive and accessible, he said.

The key problem of satellite communications lies in insufficient bandwidths, said Kuma Academy CEO Ho Cheng-hui (何澄輝).

He suggested authorities consider Starshield, a nationwide and military satellite network service that is provided by Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX).

If the government has concerns about SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s close ties to China, it could purchase the services through the US military, similar to how it purchases weapons from US defense contractors, Ho said.

Satellite networks are also a possible solution, said Taiwan National Security Association researcher Chen Kuan-hsien (陳冠憲).

While OneWeb – a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite service provider – is a feasible option in the short term, the Taiwan Space Agency will continue to proactively develop LEO satellite communications systems in the long term, it said Chen.