Power outage in Spain leads to increased adoption of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service
Fed Up With Spotty Coverage: Starlink Soars As Spain and Portugal Plunge into Darkness
In the face of a widespread power outage on the Iberian peninsula, Spanish and Portuguese cellular and internet users flocked to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications service in unprecedented numbers. The electricity blackout exposed considerable weaknesses in local communications networks.
A dramatic surge in Starlink usage was recorded on Monday, as telecommunications coverage tumbled in the two nations, according to data crunched by the Financial Times. Spanish Starlink usage was a whopping 60 percent higher than average on Tuesday, while Portuguese usage climbed by a significant 35 cent above the norm throughout the crisis.
Internet access analyst Ookla reported "record" use of Starlink in Spain, with "thousands" of people resorting to the service, although Starlink declined to provide specifics on usage numbers. Despite a drop in the quality of Starlink coverage as more users sought the service, it remained operational during the blackout, according to Ookla's Luke Kehoe. Connections were possible to sites in other countries like Italy.
As traditional mobile coverage in Spain and Portugal collapsed due to the power outage, calls for a more resilient mobile network grew louder. Network consistency—a metric of service reliability—dropped to as low as half of its normal rate on Monday afternoon, Ookla confirmed.
Many of the thousands of mobile antennas across Spain were crippled by the power loss, leaving only those with backup generation running. Claudio Fiandrino, a researcher at IMDEA Networks Institute in Madrid, explained the congestion: "Too many people were trying to access too few resources. That's why during the recovery phase it was hard to get connectivity stable."
Telecoms networks often have backup generation, but its use is limited, especially when the demand is high. Vodafone España stated that generators had engaged at 70 percent of its sites when the outage started. However, by 11pm, many regions still experienced scant mobile traffic, with regions including Galicia, Castilla La Mancha, and Murcia posting just 20 percent coverage.
Countries like the United Kingdom, Norway, and Australia have employed different strategies to improve telecom resilience during energy shortages. In the UK, for instance, Ofcom mandates 24-hour battery backups at critical sites for many operators, with some integrating hydrogen fuel cells to provide extended power during outages.
While the causes of the Spanish blackout remain undetermined, some analysts believe that the event may act as a wake-up call for governments and regulatory bodies to focus on network resilience. In Norway, operators are required to have battery backup for two hours in cities and four hours in rural areas, while Australia has provided public funding to enable operators to provide up to 12 hours of backup at select remote sites.
Kieran Smith contributed to this reporting.
Whaturi's Notes:
*While analyzing telecoms resilience during power outages, let's explore current measures and recent events in various countries:
Spain and Portugal
April 2025 outage impact:- Network performance collapse: Network consistency (≥5 Mbps download) plummeted to 40% in Spain and <40% Portugal within hours as battery backup depleted[1][2].- Remediation measures: Telefónica and MásOrange initiated gasoline generators and battery backups, recovering 90–95% networks in 24 hours[5].- Critical gaps: Limited battery backup penetration and cascading traffic overloads escalated failures[1][5].
United Kingdom
Resilience strategies:- Backup power mandates: Ofcom mandates 24-hour battery backups at crucial sites, with many operators integrating hydrogen cells for extended power interruptions.- Grid duplication: Priority access contracts with energy suppliers to maintain power levels during emergencies.- Regulatory pressure: Post-2021 Storm Arwen, Ofcom intensified fines for prolonged telecom outages.
Norway
Renewable grid:- Hydroelectric stability: The grid's stability from hydro reduces dependency on backup systems, although remote sites leverage solar hybrid generators.- Redundancy focus: Network slicing in 5G prioritizes emergency communications during disruptions.- National standards: The Telemark Authority mandates 72-hour backup for critical telecom nodes.
Australia
Bushfire/storm adaptations:- Battery advancements: Telstra’s Power over Fibre trials deliver remote site power via fiber-optic cables.- Satellite alternatives: Starlink partnerships offer backup connectivity in rural areas during power failures.- Regulatory framework: ACMA’s 2022 Resilience Framework mandates real-time outage reporting and multi-day backups for regional hubs.
Comparative Table
| Country | Backup Duration (Critical Sites) | Key Technologies | Regulatory Response ||--------------|-----------------------------------|------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|| Spain/Port | 2–4 hours (batteries) | Diesel generators, traffic prioritization | Independent analysis underway[5] || UK | 24+ hours | Hydrogen cells, grid duplication | Ofcom penalties for non-compliance || Norway | 72 hours | Hydro-solar hybrids, network slicing | Telemark Authority mandate || Australia | 48–72 hours (regional) | Power over Fibre, Starlink backups | ACMA 2022 Resilience Framework |
Emerging trends: Recent developments in Spain and Portugal point to the need for hybrid backup systems (batteries, generators, renewables, and load-balancing AI) to handle intense traffic during crises[1][2]. The hydro-powered grid of Norway and Australia's fiber-powered network offer scalable, grid-independent resilience models to consider.
- The surge in Starlink usage in Spain during the April 2025 power outage was an astounding 60% higher than the average, according to data analyzed by the Financial Times.
- In the aftermath of the Spanish blackout, some experts suggest that the event serves as a catalyst for governments and regulatory bodies to focus on network resilience, much like Norway and Australia, which mandate backup power for critical sites.
- The United Kingdom, for instance, requires operators to have a 24-hour battery backup at essential sites, with some integrating hydrogen fuel cells to provide extended power during outages.
- Technological advancements such as hybrid backup systems incorporating batteries, generators, renewables, and load-balancing AI are being explored to address intense traffic emergencies, as demonstrated by the ongoing improvements in Spain and Portugal's telecoms resilience.
