Asia recovering from earthquake telecom blackout

(CBC) - Telecommunications firms in Asia scrambled Thursday to restore service to millions of Chinese affected by an internet blackout after an earthquake snapped six undersea cables.

Less than two days after powerful tremors rattled the southern tip of Taiwan, killing two residents and injuring dozens, companies from South Korea to Singapore managed to reroute traffic through satellites and undamaged cables to restore partial service to millions of customers.

Telecommunications between China, Taiwan, North America and Europe were seriously disrupted because of Tuesday's earthquake, a spokesperson with China Telecom said.

Although Chinese websites are still available, it could take at least three weeks for the entire tech-savvy region to access popular U.S. or European websites such as eBay, Google and Hotmail.

Repair ships will have to sail into the quake zone and haul the severed cables above water for a two-week repair process, at a cost of about $1.53 million US.

Lin Jen-hung, vice-general manager of Taiwan's largest phone company, Chunghwa Telecom Co., said four ships were on the way, but were not expected to arrive until Tuesday.

Lose chance to 'make fast money'

The inconvenience could prove costly for Asia's economy, as many Chinese rely on Western websites for fast stock tips and news on the latest trends. International phone calls were also affected.

While banks and other financial institutions were spared from major problems because they run on independent systems, "many lost the opportunity to make fast money," said Francis Lun, manager of a Hong Kong securities firm.

"We've become too dependent on these optic fibres - a few of them get damaged, and everything collapses," Lun said.

Online gamers across Hong Kong also complained about the damaged undersea cables cutting into their entertainment.

"Most online games are routed through Taiwan, and now I can't play any of them," said gamer Daniel Lee, 28. "I can't contact a lot of people because my e-mail is down. It's a hassle and it's depressing, but I can't do anything about it."

With files from the Associated Press

© the CBC, 2006