Massive rolling blackouts may afflict Europe this winter, as mobile phones go dark due to power cuts and energy rationing, Reuters reports.
The reports come as Russia cuts off gas supplies in Europe amid the continuing Ukraine war. Russia blamed Western economic sanctions for the crisis. Furthermore, recent leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines were declared intentional acts of sabotage by the European Union. Ukraine and Poland blame Russia for the leaks, which compound Europe’s supply problems. (RELATED: ‘Recipe For Blackouts’: Millions Of Americans Face Power Outages Thanks To Green Energy Transition)
Telecoms industry officials fear a harsh winter will jeopardize European telecoms infrastructure. The region’s lack of back up systems make matters worse, as potential widespread power cuts allow for mobile phone outages.
Exclusive: Mobile phones could go dark around Europe this winter if power cuts or energy rationing knocks out parts of the mobile networks across the region https://t.co/CNhCjyXf9e pic.twitter.com/fH1EQsbt6x
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 29, 2022
European countries such as France, Sweden and Germany are scrambling to ensure infrastructure is put in place to ensure mobile phones can continue to work.
France’s electrical distributor Enedis is seeking to mitigate the crisis with rolling two-hour blackouts across the country, while maintaining essential services such as hospitals, police, and government. Swedish telecom regulators are financing the purchase of transportable fuel stations in anticipation of power outages. Lobbyists for Italian telecoms officials are working with the government to exclude mobile networks from the blackouts.