Storm Kristin: how will we recover telecommunications?
Storm Kristin inflicted severe damage on Portugal’s telecommunications infrastructure, leaving thousands without phone or internet service and creating uncertainty about the full scale of losses. Anabela Campos of Expresso’s Economy section analyses the technical and organisational challenges of recovery: assessing fibre and mast damage, restoring power-dependent sites, coordinating operators and emergency services, and prioritising public-safety links. The piece outlines short-term fixes (temporary radio links, generator deployment, mobile cells) and longer-term resilience measures (network redundancy, hardening infrastructure, investment and regulatory incentives), while stressing the need for clear damage assessment and co‑operation between public authorities and private operators to minimise disruption and protect vulnerable communities.
