Delays hit Taiwanese quake repairs

Stormy weather and high seas have been blamed for delays to the repairs of the undersea cables damaged by Taiwan’s December earthquake.

The quake, which hit the tiny island on December 26 last year, tore the cables from the sea bed, disrupting internet services across Asia.

Hong Kong’s telecoms regulator, the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) said last week that most of the seven cables damaged by the quake have now been fixed but that one will be completed by the end of February, OFTA said.

OFTA director, General Au Man-ho said: “Bad weather, technical problems and other reasons are causing the delay.” Au confirmed that despite the impact of the quake, ISPs in Hong Kong had successfully re-routed traffic and that internet services in the region were “not severely” affected.