To notify the public of an upcoming mobile network speed reduction drill, the NCC recently sent a National Alert (PWS) advance notice without warning, causing many people’s phones to blare alerts earlier, leading them to think there was an earthquake. It turned out to be just a drill notice, and many exclaimed, “What a false alarm!” Although the subsequent public reaction mostly amounted to brief complaints, it also reflected doubts about whether the bureaucracy has made a comeback after the NCC’s disbandment, raising questions about the reckless issuance of National Alerts (PWS).
On August 3, 2026, at 2:30 PM, NCC unexpectedly sent a national alert message (PWS) to notify that urban resilience (air defense) drills would be conducted in central and northern Taiwan in the near future, during which mobile network speed reduction exercises would be carried out. NCC sending a PWS without prior notice is quite rare, and it also drew complaints from some citizens who were alarmed for no reason, as well as controversy over the indiscriminate sending of PWS. Why is the public questioning NCC over improperly sent PWS? Below is a summary video and detailed explanation:
The NCC has not publicly explained why it sent the PWS without advance notice this time. According to online rumors, the NCC took into account that this exercise involved widespread communication disruptions and worried that the public would complain about not receiving notifications about something this serious, so it not only issued a general press release or social media announcement, but also chose to send the next-level “National Alert” as an advance notice. Another reason is that, following last year’s incident at the Matai’an landslide lake where some residents missed the alert and delayed evacuation, the NCC wanted to use this alert as a stress test for telecom companies’ base stations, checking whether cell broadcast messages were sent smoothly and delivered in real time to mobile devices in all covered areas.
Although NCC’s intent in sending the National Alert message (PWS) may have been well-meaning, it has raised external questions about whether NCC has the authority to proactively send PWS alerts, why alerts were sent to the southern region outside the drill area, and whether NCC’s bureaucratic attitude has made a comeback.。 Here is where the controversy lies:
1. The NCC is not responsible for determining the content or timing of disaster alerts, and advance warning messages are typically announced in advance:
According toNCC official websiteIntroduction to the Public Alert System. The NCC itself is not responsible for determining the content or timing of disaster alerts. Instead, the various disaster prevention competent authorities (including the Ministry of National Defense, Council of Agriculture, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Environmental Protection Administration, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Nuclear Safety Commission, and 22 local county and city governments) are responsible for sending disaster warning messages within their respective jurisdictions.Determine the release time for the drill message.、Coverage area、Alert TypeandMessage ContentHowever, during this communication disruption, the PWS alert message was actually initiated by the NCC, the competent authority for disaster prevention operations, which does not align with the inter-ministerial division of labor logic established when the PWS was originally built.One can only barely say it is because this mobile network disruption drill was hosted by NCC for the first time.caused by.
On the other hand, in the past, advance notices for PWS alerts or the monthly routine stress tests by telecom operators were always communicated in advance to major media outlets via press releases from the operators, to avoid causing public panic or the adverse effect of crying wolf. This time, however, the NCC, acting as both player and referee, sent out a national-level PWS alert of fairly high severity with no advance notice at all, which is baffling.
2. The mobile network speed obstruction drill is limited to the central and northern regions, but residents in the south received the notification too:
This drill for mobile network speed disruption was limited to the central and northern regions, but according to netizens’ reports, residents in the south, which was not part of the drill, also received PWS advance alerts. The NCC’s decision on the PWS broadcast range this time left people scratching their heads.
3. Leaderless, a restoration of bureaucratic arrogance?
NCC is the highest governing body in Taiwan overseeing the flow of information across telecommunications, broadcasting, and internet communications, and was formerly part of the Directorate General of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, as well as the Government Information Office. Because its primary function is regulatory oversight, its civil servants have long been criticized for a heavily bureaucratic demeanor, and companies under its regulation often privately complain that NCC’s senior officials are very difficult to communicate with.
Since opposition lawmakers pushed for legal amendments and boycotted the appointment of new NCC commissioners, the NCC’s senior managers have been granted greater disciplinary authority. In the past, some hastily introduced controversial policies ended up being shot down, such as charging an NT$750 review fee for equipment mailed back from overseas and requiring a police report for lost SIM cards.
With the number of NCC commissioners dropping to zero since August, the commission has been unable to convene meetings, and all 104 major tasks that must legally be handled through commission meetings have been completely suspended. The original advisory council decision-making mechanism has also become utterly ineffective with no commissioners in office. Most ordinary people view the complete dissolution of the NCC commissioners as nothing more than a storm in a teacup — a power struggle over governance that hardly affects them. However, the highly controversial mobile network speed reduction drill and the unannounced PWS alert during this period make people worry about the excessive authority of the NCC’s internal bureaucracy, its hasty and sloppy decision-making, and the lack of oversight. The NCC, which oversees Taiwan’s telecommunications and broadcasting industries, is showing signs of bureaucratic resurgence. Is this truly a blessing for the public?
Since the NCC revised and released internal regulations such as the “Operating Guidelines for Matters Deliberated at National Communications Commission Commissioners’ Meetings and Matters Authorized to Internal Units for Handling” on July 31, 2024, 58 business items have been changed to no longer require resolution at commissioners’ meetings and are instead authorized to first-level units for handling. For cable television systems with expiring licenses, the NCC has written to operators requesting they continue broadcasting based on public interest and audience rights, so that most people will not be inconvenienced by the decimation of the NCC commissioner body. Currently, the biggest winners are the telecommunications, broadcasting, and internet communications operators that were originally subject to regulation, who are secretly laughing: “Life without the NCC isn’t so bad either.”
Due to the severe confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties, there should be no solution in the short term for Taiwan’s NCC commissioners and Control Yuan members being wiped out as a group.Whether the NCC bureaucrats’ restoration to power is a blessing for all citizens remains open to question.
Source: KOCPC Chinese