Starting the 1st of October, mobile network users will be able to connect to another operator’s cell tower during emergencies if their own operator’s service is interrupted, reports ERR News.
This new capability follows sweeping legislative changes regarding crisis situations adopted over the summer, which included a domestic roaming agreement among Estonia’s three major mobile network operators: Elisa, Tele2, and Telia. Domestic roaming will be available nationwide and will operate during severe emergencies affecting national security. It will not be available in instances such as power outages, which frequently occur during autumn storms.
From the 1st of October, if a customer’s mobile operator’s service becomes unavailable during an emergency, it will be possible to switch to the nearest operational tower of another operator. Mart Laas, a representative of the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, noted that the system would operate nationwide, as Estonia is small enough that implementing it at the level of individual regions would not be practical. Mobile phones will connect to the nearest operational communications tower if the user’s own network becomes unavailable. He added that
activating such a large-scale mechanism merely due to storms would be disproportionate.
It is intended for truly critical situations—such as war or other major incidents—where telecommunications networks have sustained severe damage, are non-functional, and would require a very long time to restore.
Tele2 operates approximately 1,500 telecommunications antennas in Estonia; some are mounted on tall towers, while others are located on building rooftops. Tanel Sarri, the company’s technology director, stated that a plan had to be prepared for various potential scenarios. This involved securing redundant external connections and preparing batteries and generators—measures the company has been working on for several years. According to Sarri, Tele2 is already prepared for crises, including power outages caused by storms. Key communication hubs are equipped with generators, while smaller sites utilize batteries, thereby ensuring mobile coverage—at least outdoors—even during power outages. The Crisis Situations and National Defence Act, adopted by the Estonian parliament in the summer and set to enter into force on the 1st of October, consolidates three existing laws into a unified framework. It mandates the delegation of specific crisis-time tasks to local governments and introduces a nationwide crisis plan.
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