Why mobile and internet services are not working well during a power outage
17 May 2024 18:08
ЕКСКЛЮЗИВ
During emergency or planned power outages, it happens that mobile communications and the Internet are not working properly.
Ukrainians complain that during a power outage, mobile communications and Internet access work at first, but gradually weaken, and then may disappear altogether.
The disappearance of mobile internet is explained by the fact that during a power outage, most users switch from home Wi-Fi to mobile internet. The network is under heavy load and the speed slows down. Initially, access to the 4G network is maintained, and later access is reduced to 3G and 2G EDGE.
This is because in the event of a power outage, mobile operators often turn off some equipment to reduce the load on the network and extend their autonomous operation. For example, base stations turn off certain frequency bands or standards to give priority to voice services. This explains why the Internet first switches from 4G to 3G and then to 2G.
The press service of Kyivstar mobile operator told
“Power outages have a direct impact on the operation of telecoms networks, as mobile and fixed-line equipment requires a stable power supply. Kyivstar uses all its technical capabilities to meet the needs of its subscribers as much as possible even during blackouts,”
– the company said in a response to the inquiry 
Kyivstar noted that starting from 2022, the company has been taking measures to modernise its autonomous power sources and installing new batteries at its base stations that can operate for up to 6 hours without recharging.
“Currently, 113,000 such batteries have been installed. In addition, we are working to provide power from generators for critical facilities identified by the National Security and Defence Council. In total, the company has 2.3 thousand generators, which is almost four times more than by 2022. The company has already used more than 1 billion litres of diesel fuel and half a billion litres of petrol to operate the generators during the full-scale invasion,”
– kyivstar explained.
The company added that in order to ensure that fixed-line internet services were available during the blackouts, Kyivstar equipped home switches with uninterruptible power supplies.
Such systems are currently installed in 90,000 apartment buildings in Ukraine, where more than 60% of the company’s Home Internet users live.
“Kyivstar continues preparations for the winter of 2024-2025, making additional purchases of batteries and expanding its fleet of generators. The company has already spent over UAH 1 billion over the past two years to ensure the energy independence of the network,”
– the mobile operator said.
Kyivstar stressed that the company is ready for blackouts, but in case of large-scale and long-term power outages, it will have to prioritise the provision of autonomous power to its base stations, as technical limitations make it impossible to provide 100% of base stations with generators.
“Therefore, we hope for a frugal attitude of citizens to the use of electricity and a balanced approach by local administrations to the provision of communication services in cases of blackout schedules,”
– kyivstar summarised.
How to stay connected in a critical situation: recommendations from the State Service of Special Communications
In 2022, after the massive shelling of critical infrastructure in late November, emergency power outages were experienced, and mobile phone towers were overloaded, which became another problem faced by Ukrainians.
In this regard, the State Service for Special Communications recommended limiting mobile consumption to a minimum:
- use fixed-line networks whenever possible – by the way, some shelters are equipped with Wi-Fi;
- if possible, avoid video in favour of text formats;
- prefer text messages to calls and video calls;
- keep all conversations to a minimum, as someone may be trying to use the network to call rescuers or an ambulance at the same time;
- set traffic limits in application settings, the lowest resolution in Youtube video settings;
- disable the automatic downloading of media files in messengers:
Messenger settings → Data and storage or Media files → Turn off the “Background download” option / in the “Over mobile network” section, turn off “Auto-download media” - if your operator’s network is down, use national roaming;
- download all the necessary information to your smartphone’s memory or write it down on a piece of paper.
National roaming
If your operator’s network is down, you can use the national roaming service, which is available on the networks of Vodafone Ukraine, Kyivstar, lifecell, and 3mob. Instructions on how to activate national roaming are available on the websites of the respective operators.
Thus, the loss of communication and the Internet during a power outage has technical reasons related to the limited capacity of backup power sources. Knowing these peculiarities, you can use communication more efficiently during blackouts.
