The eyes of the world are on the war in Ukraine. While thousands of soldiers and volunteers repel the Russian invasion, a group of telecommunications technicians risk their lives to keep connectivity afloat in the country.
Considered “invisible heroes” by the government, the technicians — mostly employees of mobile operators and internet companies — restore outages caused by Russian bombing and sabotage.
According to the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP), technicians go to conflict zones to repair damaged cables or mobile stations. “
Despite the great danger […] they quickly repair and restore communication channels destroyed by the enemy, so that every Ukrainian has access to up-to-date information about the state of affairs and communicates with relatives.
The work of these specialists is not limited to that. Technicians also mount gutters in shelters, underground parking lots and other places where civilians shelter from Russian bombardment.
There is no competition between operators during the Ukraine war
The Government of Ukraine knows that the union is important for victory, so now there is no competition between the various providers. The SSSCIP posted on his Telegram channel some images to show the teamwork between operators of the Chernigov region.
This is how the main cable was restored by two small local providers, Gigabit.net and brd.net.ua (sworn competitors in peacetime,) so that the Chernigov region was connected again!
Keeping telecommunications online a priority in times of war. According to reports from NetBlocks, since the beginning of the Russian invasion there has been a drop in connectivity. Heavy bombing and attacks on communications infrastructure have worsened the situation, forcing the country to look for alternatives.
A few weeks ago the Ukrainian deputy prime minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, asked Elon Musk for help to activate the Starlink service in the country. The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX responded and sent hundreds of antennas, although he warned that they should be activated only if necessary.
Cyber attacks threaten the integrity of telecommunications
Another problem facing Ukraine is the wave of cyber attacks from Russia. While Microsoft and other actors support the Government of Volodymyr Zelensky to identify and deal with digital threats, the Security Service (SBU) works with the operators to track hackers.
Forbes reported about attacks on various companies in this sector. Hackers reset Triolan’s systems to factory settings, causing disruption to telecommunications services. Although there are no reports of a critical failure, some local companies are targets of cyberattacks and use their technicians to restore connectivity.
The collaboration between the Government and the telecommunications companies has already borne fruit. the SBU confirmed the arrest of a person who called and texted dozens of Ukrainian public officials and security agents proposing a surrender. The hacker made more than a thousand calls and provided key information to Russian soldiers involved in the invasion.
Victor Zhora, director of the SSSCIP, told a press conference that this war is the first case in history where the importance of maintaining telecommunications is high. “This probably explains why Ukraine continues to successfully resist aggression,” he commented.