A video recently went viral: a communications technician makes his way through waist-deep snow to a base station to restore its operation. This video is a vivid illustration of the price of stable communications this winter. We decided to figure out what is behind the ability to make a call during a blackout and what resources are involved for this.
A video recently went viral: a communications technician makes his way through waist-deep snow to a base station to restore its operation. This video is a vivid illustration of the price of stable communications this winter. We decided to figure out what is behind the ability to make a call during a blackout and what resources are involved for this.
The telecom situation now looks somewhat more stable than the overall state of the power system, but this stability is no accident. It is the result of a massive modernization that has been ongoing since the start of the full-scale invasion.
The scale of the costs is impressive: Vodafone Ukraine alone has spent over UAH 19.3 billion on infrastructure development during the three years of the war. It is important to understand that these are direct investments by the company, which go not only to the purchase of equipment, but also to the construction of a complex autonomous system. This does not include daily operating costs: tons of fuel for generators, their regular maintenance, and payment for electricity at constantly increasing tariffs.
Today, the network is no longer just towers, but a complex symbiosis of generators, automation and energy storage systems. Currently, 100% of the operator’s base stations have backup power from batteries. On average, they hold a charge for 6–8 hours, but under extreme loads or in winter this time can be reduced. The main problem is not even the availability of batteries, but the ability to charge them: outage schedules often do not leave the equipment time to “recover”.
Compared to December, the stability of the network operation in the capital has significantly increased due to the return of dismantled generating units of contractors and partners, the purchase and installation of a significant number of additional generators, as well as the installation of our own stationary generators at support sites and more.
To maintain the network, the company is forced to attract non-standard resources. In addition to 24-hour emergency crews, specialists from neighboring regions and even employees of offices and sales departments are involved in the processes. It is this approach of "everyone on the communication front" that has allowed to raise the level of network availability in Kyiv to 78%, and in the region - to 75%, even during the most severe outages.
Over the past two years, the fleet of lithium batteries in the network has grown eightfold , with over 20,000 new batteries currently in the pipeline. The number of generators has increased by a third in the past year alone, and new shipments of equipment continue to arrive in Ukraine.
In parallel, the search for alternatives continues. In addition to cooperating with communities and businesses to use their capacities (77% of sites have already been powered), the operator is testing solar stations. Preparations are already underway to launch 100 facilities powered by alternative power.
Communication in wartime is no longer just a service; it is a matter of security and survival. And while every hour of network operation during a blackout becomes increasingly expensive, there is no alternative: the country must stay online.
