Taiwan briefly slows its mobile internet to text-only speed as part of defense drill

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — For 30 minutes, the internet in parts of Taiwan crawled.The slowdown Thursday for people in the capital, Taipei, and six other cities and localities was part of the last phase of the island's annual Han Kuang exercises, military drills that began last week and aim to model a response to a possible Chinese military invasion.Telecommunication operators slowed mobile web traffic to 256 Kbps, making it difficult to exchange anything other than texts. Usually, residents can access 5G in major cities.Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te apologized to the public for the inconvenience, “We ask for your understanding and support, as this is a necessary drill," he said.Taiwan has stepped up the intensity of the Han Kuang drills, incorporating reservists and more civilians into the e