When Communication Comes Under Fire
In modern military conflicts, communication becomes one of the primary targets. However, reactions to communication issues vary, and the reasons for military actions differ. In Ukraine, there was an unprovoked invasion by Russia, leading to massive military operations across hundreds of thousands of square kilometres. In the Gaza Strip, covering an area of 365 square kilometres, an anti-terrorism operation is underway following mass killings and abductions in Israeli settlements around this zone. In any case, the average person is faced with the question of how to stay connected and receive vital information.
Paltel Group, the company managing Palestinian telecommunications, announced on social media that internet and communication services in the Gaza Strip would be discontinued on Thursday, November 16, if the besieged enclave does not receive new fuel supplies for generators. "#Paltel Group CEO: This is the last call; #Gaza Strip will go into another telecom blackout if fuel isn’t allowed in by Thursday," was posted on the corporate Twitter page (now X).
During the extensive Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, there were rocket and cyber attacks on the telecommunications infrastructure. However, in the 21 months of war in Ukraine, there has been no major disconnection of telecommunication networks. Although local outages of individual mobile communication base stations occurred during power supply issues in October-December 2022 and January-February 2023.
What's the difference? How do ordinary people address their challenges in similar situations?
Hamas Initiates
Palestinian Minister of Communication, Itzhak Sider, stated during a press conference in Ankara on November 12 that approximately 65% of communication lines have been targeted during the ongoing conflict. He attributed this to the current fuel shortage in the conflict zone and urged "all international institutions, including the International Telecommunication Union, IAPOR, the Arab Red Crescent, the Red Cross, human rights bodies, and civil society organizations to intervene immediately to supply fuel to the Gaza strip."
Abdel Majid Melhem, CEO of Paltel Group, informed Anadolu agencies that communication stations and towers in Gaza operate using various energy sources. "The main energy source, a direct power line from the Gaza Electricity Company, which was inactive for a month due to fuel depletion, is supplemented by solar energy in case of interruption," he said. "In the event of solar power station failure, an automatic transition to a generator connected to a fuel tank will occur. If these options are exhausted, there will be an automatic switch to energy storage batteries (UPS)," added Melhem. He also predicts, "By next Wednesday, we expect the automatic activation of energy batteries at communication stations and exchanges in Gaza, which have enough energy for 24 hours after the depletion of other energy sources."
This is not the first complete collapse of telecommunications networks in Gaza. Network disruptions, albeit for different reasons, occurred three times after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israeli settlements around the Gaza Strip.
For example, on November 1, Paltel Group reported on X (formerly Twitter): "Apologies for the announcement, but it seems there is an issue with communication and internet services in the Gaza Strip. This occurred due to the disconnection of previously restored routes, which are unfortunately disconnected again from the Israeli side." Similar incidents occurred repeatedly. Another massive disconnection happened on November 5, not to mention the shutdowns in October.
The reason is that cables, mobile communication towers, and infrastructure essential for supporting telecommunication services were damaged or destroyed as Israel launched thousands of rockets in response to the Hamas attack on Israel, leading to mass killings of Israeli civilians and the seizure of hundreds of hostages on October 7. The destruction of telecommunication infrastructure began with the Hamas terrorists themselves when they attacked Israel on October 7. Hamas used drones to bomb communication equipment in the area around the border between Gaza and neighboring Israeli territories.
The current situation looks peculiar for two reasons. Firstly, the Gaza Strip has a direct border with Egypt, through which, somehow, there has been no opportunity to lay networks. Perhaps because Israel provided free internet connectivity to this area, along with electricity supply? Secondly, the Gaza Strip is extremely compact, providing the possibility of dense and inexpensive duplication of communication channels, as well as the use of small portable radio stations and trunking communication as duplicating means of connection. However, none of this was provided to the civilian population, despite significant external funding from Gulf countries, the EU, the UN, and other respected donors.
In conclusion, the telecommunications in the region turned out to be extremely fragile, and the population was unable to adapt in this dire situation. What remains? Catching the waves of mobile communication when it resumes and getting news from primitive radio receivers.
Photo: A man holds a portable radio receiver as he listens to the news broadcast on the street in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on October 31, 2023, amid ongoing clashes between Israel and the Hamas Palestinian movement. Source: Getty Images.
21 Months Under Shelling
The attack on Ukraine began with a missile strike early on February 24, 2022. Until now, representatives of the Ukrainian telecommunications sector have not been very open about the features that enabled them to withstand network destruction.
However, some clarity emerged after speaking with Olena Shramko, Deputy CEO of Corporate Communications at Ukrtelecom. In Ukraine, there are many major internet providers, with Ukrtelecom likely being the largest. As a former state-owned and privatized company for the past 13 years, Ukrtelecom remains the backbone of the Ukrainian telecommunications market. Thus, its services are utilized not only by private households but also by state, army and security structures to which Ukrtelecom provides internet services.
"Ukrtelecom, as a key enterprise in the national communication infrastructure, must ensure reliable communication to all special users in times of emergency and wartime. Accordingly, we had worked out various scenarios, although such a level of aggression from Russia was unexpected for everyone," explained Olena Shramko. "We had a mobilization plan that outlined the procedure in case of wartime. So, we didn't lose control, and an operational headquarters was set up in Ukrtelecom on February 24. If the enemy damaged infrastructure, we quickly activated backup routes, repaired damages as soon as possible."
But the problem wasn't only missiles damaging communication nodes and power facilities. "Hybrid warfare is characterized by powerful Russian cyber attacks. Before the full-scale invasion by Russia, we strengthened the team and resources of our cybersecurity: we already had a modern Security Operation Center (SOC) with professionally trained staff, allowing us to monitor and diagnose the penetration of malicious traffic," said Olena Shramko. By the way, attempts of cyber attacks were also made on the energy system of Ukraine, but it withstood.
During Russia's war in Ukraine, russians forces destroyed communication networks, and on the occupied territories, they tried to control access to the Internet, creating new mobile communication companies to control information flows.
Photo: Ukrainian communicators restore networks immediately after demining liberated territories. Source: Ukrtelecom's Facebook.
As soon as Ukrainian forces liberated certain territories from occupation, right behind them, technical teams from Ukrainian mobile operators Kyivstar, Vodafone, and Lifecell, as well as Ukrtelecom, appeared. They restored base stations of mobile communication and telecommunication infrastructure. "As soon as our soldiers liberate settlements from occupiers, we prepare to restore communication there. Technical units of Ukrtelecom coordinate their actions with the State Emergency Service (SES) and the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), and after they complete the necessary measures, they engage in the restoration of telecommunication infrastructure. Emergency repair crews start work as soon as they gain safe access to communication lines and nodes," explained Ms. Shramko.
However, a discussion about the situation with telecommunications in Ukraine during the war would be incomplete without mentioning Starlink. Elon Musk's satellite access systems became a real lifesaver in Ukraine when everything else failed. Directly in the front-line zone, thanks to Starlink, they maintain communication when everything else fails — local authorities, law enforcement agencies, firefighters, emergency medical services, and the police.
A year ago, during Russian missile attacks on Ukraine's power grids, many used Starlink as a "last resort connection." That is, when in a particular region there were rolling power outages, and local communication hubs restricted bandwidth, Starlink was used by local businesses and private contractors to maintain operations. Private individuals' access to the Internet was also provided by Ukrtelecom through free connections to Wi-Fi routers installed in most distribution network cabinets located near buildings.
Photo: Access to the internet for private individuals was also provided by Ukrtelecom through free connections to Wi-Fi routers installed in most distribution network cabinets located right next to buildings. Source: Ukrtelecom's Facebook.
Particularly, Ukraine's peculiarity lies in having a sufficiently educated population. There are several hundred thousand professional programmers in the country with a population of up to 35 million. Starlink was highly appreciated by these private users, who bought not only Starlink terminals but also portable petrol generators and modern battery stations in industrial quantities. This ensured the stability of home and corporate offices.
The widespread penetration of mobile internet into business did not hinder the Ukrainian economy, which has been under Russian shelling for 21 consecutive months. Mobile payment terminals, ATMs with mobile modems, and vehicle tracking systems—all are used in Ukraine perhaps even more frequently than in many EU countries. Since cellular operators quickly increased the energy independence of their nodes and base stations, mobile communication didn't suffer too often.
However, radio receivers and satellite phones have not been used regularly in Ukraine, thankfully. Although Ukrainians were ready for such a turn of events.