Taiwan Network Slowdown Drill Tests Digital Payments

Taiwan’s growing reliance on mobile banking and electronic payments has made network availability a key part of financial resilience. The 2026 Urban Resilience Exercise will, for the first time, include a deliberate slowdown of mobile internet service, testing whether consumers and financial systems can continue operating when communications are constrained during a disaster or other emergency.

The exercise will reduce mobile network speeds for 30 minutes, potentially disrupting mobile banking, online banking and electronic payment connections. Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission advised consumers to complete large transfers or other time-sensitive transactions before the drill. If mobile access becomes unstable during the test, users should switch to Wi-Fi or a fixed-line internet connection to reduce the risk of interrupted transactions.