Telefónica is preparing a resilience energy plan for 2026 that safeguards its fixed and mobile network against prolonged power outages. The strategy — driven by the blackout of April 28, 2025 — combines larger capacity batteries, smart consumption management, and generators where feasible, with phased autonomy goals: for mobile, time slots of 2, 4, and 8 hours depending on criticality; for fixed, most of the 1,800 central offices will reach 4 or 8 hours, with a strategic subset extending to 24 hours. Deployment requires hundreds of millions of euros in capex and increased opex for maintenance and battery replacement.
Beyond the overall picture, the technical analysis for specialized media is clear: supporting antennas and switching centers isn’t enough; if the outage persists, actual continuity depends on what happens in the optical transport network, especially at the fiber regeneration and amplification points.
Mobile: 22,000 sites with layered autonomy
Telefónica operates approximately 22,000 mobile sites in Spain. The new resilience design defines three levels:
- 50% of sites: ≥ 2 hours backup.
- 40% strategic: ≥ 4 hours.
- 10% critical (sensitive environments like nodes near security infrastructure or nuclear sites): ≥ 8 hours.
In urban rooftops, which handle most traffic, installing diesel generators isn’t always feasible due to weight, space, noise, and neighbor opposition. Instead, reinforcement is achieved via battery banks, radio consumption optimization (dynamic power/carrier reduction), and service prioritization. In suburban and rural towers with yards and access points, generators are appropriate, along with protocols for refueling if outages extend.
Fixed: fewer nodes, longer hours
After the copper shutdown, Telefónica consolidated its switch offices into about 1,800 central offices. In **own technical buildings**, integrating industrial UPS systems, battery systems with BMS, and generators with tanks and safety measures is more straightforward. The goal is to maintain access, aggregation, and core services with autonomy of 4 and 8 hours, and elevate a strategic subset (based on traffic criticality or regional dependency) to 24 hours.
Technical analysis: without reinforcing regeneration points, fiber won’t reach
During a prolonged outage, it’s useless for a central office to withstand 24 hours if the transport between segments fails due to power loss at intermediate points. In metro and backbone networks, continuity depends on:
- Optical amplifiers (EDFA/Raman) and ROADM nodes in shelters outside urban areas — typically housed in cabins or technical buildings near roads or railways.
- 3R/OTN regenerators (retiming, reamplification, reconfiguration) and DWDM multiplexing equipment in intermediate rooms.
- Pass huts with DC plants and batteries maintaining line modules.
From an engineering perspective, it makes sense for Telefónica’s plan to include (or end up including) these regeneration points within the same layered autonomy approach as in exchanges:
- Metro rings: at least 4–8 hours in ROADM and amplification, prioritizing rings serving hospitals, emergency services, data centers, or MNOs/MVNOs gatherings.
- Long-distance: 8–24 hours in critical shelters (mountain passes, island links, backbone routes connecting regions).
- Power telemetry and auto-check routines: automated tests for start-up of groups, controlled charge/discharge cycles, and continuous telemetry to NOC to predict battery degradation.
Practically, reinforcing only antennas and exchanges extends the life of endpoints but does not prevent a DWDM chain from failing due to power loss at an intermediate ROADM. True resilience in fixed networks requires that each link — exchange, metro, long-distance, and access — have power and operational continuity throughout the event.
Operation and logistics: where hours are gained (or lost)
- Batteries: sized for temperature conditions and real cycles, with BMS to prevent over-discharge. Rotation and replacement every few years to preserve capacity.
- Generators: inventory by location, maintenance hours, cold starts tested, and fuel contracts with SLA guarantees for emergencies.
- Route planning: access to shelters during adverse weather; without diesel at critical sites, the backbone will still fail.
- Testing: simulated controlled outages, with traffic peaks and evacuation routes between NOCs and field teams.
Canary Islands and regulation: specifics and common framework
Canary Islands require a dedicated plan due to insularity, logistics, and climate. Meanwhile, the government is preparing a decree for 2026 that will establish minimum autonomy, emergency protocols, periodic tests, and coordination with Civil Protection and Red Electrica. The challenge: harmonizing technical ambition with financial sustainability for a sector already under cost pressures.
End-user and business: the “last mile” is still electric
Even if the network withstands, the router and ONT at the customer end shut down during an outage. For homes: basic UPS (50–120 W) or portable batteries to keep voice/IP and essential data running. For SMBs and critical environments: kits with UPS, backup LTE/5G, and service prioritization for minimal operations. In radio, the initial focus remains on ensuring 112 and critical services; data quality decreases if cells reduce power to conserve batteries.
Implications for the tech ecosystem
For manufacturers and integrators, the “blackout shield” opens a wave of technical opportunities:
- Modular UPS and high-density batteries for shelters and DWDM room spaces, limited in footprint and climate.
- Controllers and energy telemetry with API access to NOC (predicting failures, estimating battery RUL, triggering groups).
- Network optimization: energy-saving scripts in RAN and policy control that modulate power, carriers, and bandwidth per cell in degraded mode.
- Edge planning with power backup: as computing moves closer to users, autonomy should move with it.
Quick Questions
If central offices have 24 hours of backup, why can my connection still cut out earlier?
Because the optical transport relies on regeneration points that also need energy. If one of these shelters fails, traffic won’t reach its destination, even if the exchange is operational.
Why not install generators on all rooftops?
Due to weight, space, noise, vibrations, regulations, and neighbor opposition. In urban areas, reinforcement generally involves batteries and consumption management. Generators fit better on towers with their own enclosures.
What can I do at home or business to prepare?
At home, a small UPS for router/ONT extends connectivity. At work, combine UPS, backup LTE/5G, and service prioritization to keep essential operations.
In summary: Telefónica’s plan significantly enhances the resilience of antennas and central offices, but the real impact during extended outages depends on whether reinforcement reaches the fiber regeneration points. It’s at — and beyond — the transport layer where the network shows whether it can sustain hours… or an entire day.
Source: News about outages on Teléfonos