Apritel, the association that represents telecommunications operators in Portugal, admits that, in “possible situations” of prolonged power outages, “the possibility of having some impact on communications networks cannot be ruled out”. The statement is made by an official source to the Observer, in relation to a report advanced by Reuters this Thursday.
Sources interviewed by Reuters reported that, in parts of Europe, some telecoms operators are concerned that potential power rationing plans or longer outages could have consequences for services.
Low winter temperatures often lead to higher energy consumption. With the war in Ukraine and Europe’s attempt to become more independent of Russia’s energy, mainly natural gas, efforts to reduce energy consumption are multiplying.
Also this Friday, the Energy Ministers of the Member States met to reach an agreement on the energy saving plan, which will involve mandatory reductions of 5% of consumption at peak hours and voluntary reductions of 10%.
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Contacted to understand what the scenario is in Portugal on this energy issue, a source from Apritel contextualizes that “the country’s main electronic communications infrastructures have energy autonomy, supported by adequate rescue systems.”
Even so, “naturally, in possible situations of prolonged power outages, the possibility of having some impact on communications networks cannot be ruled out,” continues the same source.
In this sense, there may be consequences for services. “Scheduled outages cannot fail to preserve the functioning of communications networks, along with other critical services and infrastructures,” indicates the position of the association chaired by Pedro Mota Soares.
The Reuters story also noted that some telecoms industry officials said there are fears that a more severe winter could strain the sector’s infrastructure in Europe. It was explained that in some countries, such as France, Sweden or Germany, some measures are already being planned so that, in the event of power outages, service can continue without exhausting the capacity of the batteries installed in the antennas.
European telecom operators fear service failures in winter due to energy crisis
Source: Observadora
