The recent DANA storm has left a trail of destruction across several municipalities in the Valencian Community, devastating infrastructure and disrupting the daily lives of thousands of people. Entire towns are still without electricity or potable water, and communication networks remain inoperative in many areas, leaving hundreds of people without mobile coverage or internet access.
In response to this situation, Vicente Boria, a researcher with the Microwave Applications Group (GAM) at the Institute of Telecommunications and Multimedia Applications (iTEAM) at the Universitat Politecnica de València, explained the challenges of restoring communication services in the affected areas in an interview with Cadena SER.
According to the researcher, one of the main obstacles to reestablishing telecommunications is the lack of power supply, as terrestrial communication system equipment requires a constant energy source to operate. “In an emergency, the lack of power supply stops terrestrial communication systems from working. Generators can keep them running, but the only true solution is to restore the electrical supply so that technicians can access these towers and stations to reconnect and start up the equipment,” Boria explained.
Although part of the communications network in the region has already been restored, Boria warns that full service recovery could take several weeks. “The restoration of telecommunications depends on the return of electricity as well because the power supply keeps communication equipment running, which then works at high frequencies to transmit information. Having a power supply is essential for both ground stations and mobile telephony sites,” he added.
The researcher also highlighted the importance of satellite communication systems in emergency contexts like this one, pointing out that they provide a crucial alternative when terrestrial networks fail. “When terrestrial communications are interrupted, a comprehensive alternative is to rely on satellites, which are unaffected by these natural disasters, and emergency services responding to this situation are undoubtedly using them,” Boria stated.
Read more at: Cadena SER.