About the Project｜Ministry of Digital Affairs Taiwan Submarine Cable & IDC Industrial Policy

About "Connecting Asia-Pacific Resilience Land-Sea-Air Network" Project (CARLSAN)

Project Objectives:

To elevate Taiwan’s position as an international hub of information and communication, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Yuan, convened the "Advanced Network Infrastructure Core Project Review Meeting" on May 26, 2022. Following this, a cross-ministerial meeting on key infrastructure research and development (Infra RD) program was held on August 3, 2022, outlining the framework and participating ministries for Infra RD program. Going through several meetings, a strategic layout for Taiwan's network infrastructure blueprint over the next decade was formulated and a five-year work plan (from 2022 to 2026) was arranged.

This plan, known as "Connecting Asia-Pacific Resilience Land-Sea-Air Network project"(CARLSAN), aims to enhance the construction of advanced network infrastructure and reinforce the network resilience under multi-broadband service architecture.　It also aims to provide political incentives to attract international submarine cable landings, thereby encouraging new entrants for digital innovations within Taiwan’s digital service market. The main objectives of CARLSAN project are as follows:

• Extend the fiber optic channel from Toucheng Submarine Cable Station to Nangang Station, Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR); establish a zone for low earth orbit (LEO) satellite ground station that integrates terrestrial communication networks to enhance the diversity and resilience of the backbone networks.
• Cultivate submarine cable and data center hubs; designate submarine cable zones for the establishment of neutral international submarine cable landing stations. This objective has been adjusted to encourage submarine cable operator to enhance the resilience of submarine cable landing stations through subsidies or financial support since 2024.
• Establish a Project Management Office (PMO) to advance Taiwan's land, sea, and air network infrastructure layout. The PMO aims to optimize administrative processes, and provide single window services to enhance the administrative efficiency of submarine cable applications, thereby reducing entry barriers for international strategic partners.
• Develop a cross-multi-broadband network architecture designed for digital resilience of land, sea, and air multi-broadband networks with the aim of ensuring rapid response and recovery during natural disasters, man-made attacks and emergencies. (Suspended since 2024)

Project Framework:

This project originally consisted of 4 main missions: completing the fiber optic channel, encouraging the expansion of submarine cable landing stations, fostering public-private collaboration and international strategic partnerships, and supporting research for digital resilience across land, sea, and air multi-broadband networks and service architecture. Starting from 2024, it has been adjusted to refocus on the first three missions.