Cellphone services will likely fail if war with Hezbollah breaks out in the north, in the case of extended power outages, according to communications experts. Telecommunications companies were rushing to expand their energy infrastructure in the north by the end of July.
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A shed in the north goes up in flames after Hezbollah rocket attack
(Photo: Mate Asher)
About 400 telecommunication towers would be operational for only two hours, in case of power outages, caused by Hezbollah rocket fire. Their upgrade would enable the towers to extend their operational capability to 12 hours without electricity, which could mitigate the absolute collapse of the cellular network.
After work to improve the cellular services began last May, only a quarter of all sites operated by the three major service providers. The Ministry of Communications said it would reimburse companies that will complete their upgrade by the end of July, for costs.
Some of the northern sites that are being upgraded are vulnerable to Hezbollah rocket attacks launched from villages in southern Lebanon. "The deadlines set by the Communications Ministry defy reason," said a senior official at one of the communication companies. "Just a month and a half ago, we completed the purchase of generators, and the teams are working hard to meet the goal while there is a war going on.
The rush to upgrade the vital cellular infrastructure raises questions about the Communications Ministry's preparedness for war. The possibility of war with Hezbollah has been known by all government ministries, since October 7. The ministry was also aware that it did not demand that companies operating the cell towers, as part of their licensing commitments, provide service in case of power outages lasting more than two hours.
"We must ensure that all citizens remain connected in the event of war, not just the north," the Communications Ministry said. "The Finance Ministry has not responded to our proposals to expand the upgrade to other parts of the country."