Gusty storm can cut internet connection in an instant – How quickly a network operator responds to disruptions

Unstable weather is forecast toward the end of the week, with a widespread warning issued particularly for Friday regarding strong wind gusts. Gusts may reach up to 15 meters per second and are locally associated with heavy rain showers. This combination increases the risk of falling trees, power outages, and consequently disruptions in telecommunications networks.

The impact of a storm can quickly become visible in everyday life. A single tree may fall onto a power line and cut electricity to a base station, significantly slowing down mobile data or even causing a complete outage in the surrounding area. When multiple faults occur simultaneously, disruptions may spread across a wider region.

But what happens behind the scenes when a connection is lost?

Disruption detected within seconds and repairs begin immediately

When a storm causes damage, information about the disruption is transmitted to DNA’s operations center almost in real time. A rapid investigation then begins to determine the cause of the disruption, the extent of the damage, and the fastest way to restore service.

“Most disruptions go unnoticed by customers because they are resolved automatically or remotely in less than a minute. If necessary, services are rerouted to backup connections. During power outages, base stations typically operate on batteries for an average of about three hours or even longer, which provides a good buffer for repair work,” says Visa Urpelainen, Head of DNA’s Service Management Center.

In some cases, however, troubleshooting or repairs may be delayed. Trees brought down by storms, thunderstorm showers, and difficult terrain can prevent access to the fault location or significantly slow down repair work.

“Strong wind, rain, and thunderstorms make fieldwork considerably more challenging. In the worst case, a single cable damage or base station failure may take several hours or even up to a full day to repair if conditions make the work difficult. For example, delivering backup power to the fault site is entirely different in a storm than in calm weather,” Urpelainen explains.

No need to report disruptions immediately

Urpelainen reminds that short-term disruptions are common during storms and often resolve themselves. Even if a smart device temporarily drops off the network, there is no need to report the disruption immediately. This helps prevent congestion in reporting channels.

“In a storm, patience is key. It is worth waiting a moment and monitoring the situation, even if services are not working. In practice, the disruption is almost always already known to us and corrective actions have been initiated at that point. You should only contact us if the problem continues after the storm has subsided,” Urpelainen advises.

Up-to-date information on the situation can be followed through DNA’s online disruption notices. By calling the fault service, customers can listen to a general disruption announcement, and a fault report can also be submitted through self-service channels if the fixed connection is operational.

Nationwide connections monitored around the clock from Lahti

DNA’s operations center is located in Lahti, where it monitors all of the company’s services, including the mobile network, fixed broadband connections, and telephone traffic, around the clock. During storm situations, the role of the operations center becomes especially important, as multiple disruptions may occur simultaneously in different regions.

During prolonged power outages, network functionality is safeguarded, for example, by optimizing the energy consumption of base stations. This may temporarily slow down data connections but ensures the operation of critical services, such as emergency calls.

At the same time, close cooperation takes place with other operators.

“Today, we cooperate much more closely than we did years ago. We can agree on the division of tasks so that backup power and resources are efficiently allocated where they are most needed. In major disruptions, all operators are on the same side,” Urpelainen says.

Preparedness begins before the storm

DNA’s Service Management Center actively monitors weather forecasts and prepares in advance for exceptional weather phenomena together with authorities and other stakeholders. The operations center also uses its own crisis management model, which is deployed a couple of times each year to manage disruption situations. Readiness is maintained through regular training.

“The work of the operations center is continuous preparedness. The goal is to ensure that services function in all situations. The more challenging the conditions, the more important it is to act quickly and systematically,” Urpelainen concludes.

Media Inquiries:

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