A snowstorm is coming: All of this happens immediately if there should be a disruption in the DNA’s network

For example, if lightning damages the technology of a base station or a gale force wind knocks over a tree that falls on a power line, DNA will be notified of the network disruption nearly in real-time. This instantly triggers a critical investigation chain: Why is the service not working? Has something broken down and, if so, what? How can the service be restored as quickly as possible?

“Most disruptions are not visible to the customer in any way, shape or form. The component is either automatically repaired almost instantly or manually repaired via a remote connection potentially in less than a minute, e.g. by changing the configuration or switching services to backup routes. In the event of a disruption of the power grid, each base station can work on battery power on average for three hours or longer. Most disruptions can be repaired within this framework,” says the Head of Network Management Services Visa Urpelainen.

Nevertheless, in some cases, it may take longer to troubleshoot or repair the issue. Let’s say that the control centre is notified of cable damage. However, it is a cold winter and first you have to thaw the frozen ground so that you can dig up the cable to repair the damage. This could take a whole day. What’s more, access to the site may be blocked if there has been heavy snowfall over a short period of time. In this case, it may be necessary to call a snowplough in a rush.

“Extreme conditions always pose a challenge. It’s a lot harder to bring a portable backup generator to the site – and, of course, set it up – when it’s 40 degrees below zero than in zero-degree weather,” says Urpelainen.

When a storm hits, it’s important to remain calm

The DNA Network Control Centre, a.k.a. the control centre, is located in Lahti. Whether it is a question of DNA’s mobile or fixed networks, phone connections or broadband, the control centre is responsible for monitoring the performance of networks and services. The going gets particularly tough when Finland is buffeted by a storm. If a tree falls on a power line causing a temporary disruption in power distribution, it is important that consumers remain calm.

“Even if your smart device loses the network connection during a storm, you don't necessarily need to report the issue immediately – purely to prevent a backlog of reports. It is better to wait, keep an eye on the situation and get in touch if the network is not restored once the storm is over. In any case, you can rest assured that we are aware of the issue and hard at work to fix it, even if you are not currently able to make any calls. If you can get through, you can call our hotline to listen to the recorded general disruption update explaining that repairs are underway. You can also report a fault via DNA's self-service channel if your fixed internet connection works. We also recommend keeping an eye on the service disruption updates on DNA’s website,” says Urpelainen.

Cooperation between operators has improved

If it appears likely that power companies will be unable to restore power within three hours, the operators will take action to maintain the operation of their networks. For example, it is possible to save battery power by shutting down an individual base station technology. Although this will result in a temporary decrease in mobile data connections, it will ensure the most important thing, i.e. emergency calls getting through. Another critical factor is the coordination of backup power. In this respect, cooperation between the different operators has really improved over the years, according to Urpelainen.

“Roughly 10–15 years ago, each operator would send their own employee to the same location with a backup generator in a trailer. All the cars would be standing there in a line, waiting for a snowplough. Since those days, we have created the Häty team, which makes it possible to manage service disruptions in a more meaningful way through cooperation. Together with the operators, we can arrange that one operator brings a backup generator to one location and another one delivers one to another location. Together, we can ensure that emergency calls work. We are enemies when it comes to sales but best friends during major disruptions,” says Urpelainen with a laugh.

Crisis management model used a few times a year

In the event of a major disruption, DNA works in close cooperation with national and regional operators, emergency response centres, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom), rescue departments, the separate networks maintaining the Krivat system as well as regional subcontractors. The weather forecasts of the Finnish Meteorological Institute are also a great help when making preparations for approaching storms.

“The control centre’s operations largely comprise ongoing preparations, anticipation and dialogue. We have our own crisis management model, which we use as a kind of a service disruption management prioritisation tool. We need to use it a couple of times a year, in addition to which we also train our operating models all the time to maintain a level of readiness. The whole premise is that we want to serve our customers even at the time of a disruption. The tougher the situation, the better our control centre operates,” says Urpelainen.

Further information for the media:

Visa Urpelainen, Head of Network Management Services, tel. +358 44 044 6103, visa.urpelainen@dna.fi

DNA Corporate Communications, tel. +358 44 044 8000, communications@dna.fi