According the the BBC, power cuts caused by Storm Arwen highlighted a potentially lethal problem in the home phone network’s digital transformation. Traditional landlines are being phased out in favour of broadband-enabled phones vulnerable to power outages. Hundreds of thousands of households across northern England lost power, people in remote areas without a mobile reception were left unable to call for help.
When Storm Arwen took out electricity on 26 November 2021 many residents were left with “no communication with the outside world whatsoever”.
Many residents had the new digital phones from BT, and nothing worked.
With the traditional landline system, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), home phones still function in a power cut (unless the lines were damaged) because the telephone exchange has back-up power which feeds to the phone through the line itself.
But this system is being switched off in 2025. BT Openreach, which manages the UK’s phone and internet network, has begun moving people over to Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) connections, which work through broadband and susceptible to power cuts.
edcprep.uk Comment
This raises many question about the resilience of communications in an emergency. This exposes a serious flaw in the major telecommunications network and the lack of resilience. Both in terms of landline systems and mobile telephone masts. Even in the shortest of power outages in the UK we have experienced, affecting just a few hundred homes, the mobile phone masts go offline.
Do these mobile phone masts have built in resilience in a simple power outage from a storm or maintenance?
In addition, did the local emergency service, local authority communications and internet fail due to the effects of Storm Arwen? Did they have contingencies?
Did the local authorities contingency plans include organisations such as RAYNET or similar groups to provide emergency communications?
If an amateur radio repeater station local to us can stay online with solar and backup generators, can a multi billon pound telecoms company stretch to installing backup power, especially when communications is vital in a crisis when communications is needed the most.
This is a classic example of why you and your community should invest in licence free radios communications such as CB and or PMR446. These are low cost to entry and a local network with SOP’s can be set up on a regular basis to support the community. This radio net or community net, an Amateur Radio Term, can provide regular social radio network and it will provide huge confidence and safety for anyone that needs support in a a minor or major crisis.