Threat to Internet connections and mobile telephony this winter

Telecom operators are sounding the alarm. They are worried about the consequences that power cuts could have on their network. While a defense council addressing the subject is to take place on Friday, the French Federations of Telecom Operators (FFTelecoms) warns of a disaster scenario. “Without electricity, mobile relays no longer work, except 95% of emergency communications pass through these networkswarns Liza Bellulo, general secretary of Bouygues Telecom and president of FFTelecoms. To reduce transport costs, employees who can can be asked to telecommute. But what will happen if the Internet is cut off, due to lack of power?“. Operators fear above all load shedding procedures, that is to say, stopping the power supply to their facilities. These cuts could take place by geographical areas, only the sectors housing a hospital would be spared by this type of procedure. However, the mobile antennas just like the hearts of the network for the fixed one need electricity to function. There is no sustainable alternative solution, the idea of ​​using generators is ruled out because it is impossible to put one near each of the 53,000 mobile relays!

Nocturnal cuts

If some equipment can be stopped, this is not the case for all. Telecom operators have already started to hibernate certain frequencies mobile at night, 5G was even designed to facilitate this type of actions. In contrast “restarting an antenna that has been completely shut down is a complex process“says Liza Bellulo. The sector is ready to take voluntary measures for energy sobriety, but without harming its activities“. Telecoms highlight the fact that some of their customers are also operators of vital interest!

Read alsoWhy are 5G antennas turned off at night?

Discussions are being held with the public authorities, and the operator of the electricity distribution network Enedis… But the operators have decided to take the lead, well aware that their customers are more and more demanding and dependent in their connection. internet and their mobile network.

No question of spending a winter with floods of complaints because of inaccessible service, due to power cuts.

“Fiber is four times less energy intensive than copper. With each new generation of mobile telephony, the environmental footprint decreases. But the switch from one technology to another is done in the long term, we are faced with short-term challenges: we have to spend the winter“, adds Liza Bellulo. The sector is expected to submit new proposals to the government at the end of September to further reduce its electricity consumption. Long-term commitments will have to be combined with emergency measures.