The Government of Spain, through the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service, has signed a collaboration agreement with the main telecommunications operators and associations of the country to overcome the devastating damages of digital infrastructures caused by the recent Isolated Depression in High Levels (DANA), and with special impact in the province of Valencia. With harmony and unity of action, the agreement formalizes the coordinated work they have been doing since the beginning of the floods, and proposes new measures to facilitate citizens to solve problems that have caused floods in their telecommunications services.
Among the main commitments is the recovery of the operability of networks and services, restoring electronic communications networks, digital infrastructures and terrestrial broadcasting services damaged by DANA. To this end, the signatories have committed themselves to continue deploying the necessary technical and human resources to repair and complete the reconstruction of the affected infrastructures as soon as possible.
In this regard, the Ministry has pointed out that, as of yesterday, November 13, 98% of the 220,000 fixed telephone lines initially affected had already been recovered, and in mobile telephony 99% of the 300,000 lines affected were also recovered. For this task of guaranteeing the operational continuity of telecommunications networks and services, which are fundamental to emergency services, operators have made during these days an exceptional effort that this pact recognizes.
In addition, operators have undertaken to make available to affected users other facilities such as the free offer of certain services or the extension of contracted capacity limits. They have also committed to duplicating SIM cards for free to those who have lost or broken them, and to offering replacement devices in certain cases in which the purchased terminals have been damaged by the effects of DANA, as well as maintaining customer service channels both remotely and in person, guaranteeing a minimum capacity to respond to citizens.
These measures are in addition to the one already announced by the Council of Ministers a few days ago for automatic compensation and at least proportional to the time of interruption of services. These commitments may be updated and extended depending on new initiatives that arise or new entities that join the agreement, reinforcing the collective effort to overcome the difficulties caused by DANA.
Minister Óscar López said that “we are proud of the immediate reaction and progress made by all the parties involved in the reconstruction of digital connectivity, with a unit of action that has been deployed by hundreds of workers and officials in the territory to urgently meet the aid requests of those affected.”
López concluded by stressing that “we continue to work for the total reconstruction of Valencia, and the spirit of cooperation of this agreement with measures at all levels in the field of digital infrastructures, seeks to help Valencian citizens recover their normality as soon as possible”.
The ‘Agreement for the early recovery of the digital connectivity of people and companies after the adverse effects of DANA’ has been signed by representatives of American Tower, Aotec, Cellnex, Digi, Digital, Hispasat, Más Orange, Telefónica, Totem, Vantage Towers and Vodafone.