Spain orders telecoms to keep mobile networks alive for four hours during blackouts
The Spanish government will force operators to guarantee at least four hours of mobile coverage for 75% of the population if the electricity grid fails, responding to the 2025 blackout that paralysed communications.
The 2025 blackout that triggered action
On 28 April 2025, a massive power outage left Spain without electricity. Mobile networks collapsed as base stations lost power, cutting off internet and phone calls. The government has since been working on measures to prevent a repeat.
- Nationwide blackout leaves Spain without power; mobile networks collapse.
- Minister Óscar López announces the decree at DigitalES Summit 2026.
- Expected approval of the Royal Decree by year-end.
- First year of obligation: 50% population coverage required.
- Second year: coverage threshold rises to 65%.
- Third year: full 75% coverage mandate takes effect.
What the decree demands
Minister Óscar López announced the Royal Decree on Security and Resilience of electronic communications networks at the DigitalES Summit 2026 in Madrid. The core obligation: operators must ensure mobile coverage for at least four hours for 75% of the population if the electrical grid fails again.
The intention is to approve it before the end of the year, so that operators can begin to implement it gradually.
The decree also sets differentiated autonomy requirements for critical infrastructure. First-level control centres, where a failure could affect the entire country, must operate for at least 24 hours without grid power. Intermediate-level centres, impacting several regions, must last 12 hours. Emergency 112 services and public alerts will be prioritised, with mandatory redundancy plans.
Industry pushback and compromise
Telecom operators reacted with frustration, arguing they are being forced to pay for the energy sector's failures. The government's initial draft set the coverage threshold at 85%, but after industry lobbying it was lowered to 75%. Operators had pushed for 70%. Cost estimates diverge sharply: the government puts the bill at €73 million, while companies say it will run into hundreds of millions more.
It is not logical that, if the energy supply fails, the telecommunications sector has to invest to guarantee the service.
Spenger, CEO of MasOrange, nonetheless acknowledged the sector's support for a pragmatic solution. "We support initiatives to make our networks resilient. We were in active dialogue to create a solution that makes sense, is pragmatic and financeable," he said.
Gradual rollout over three years
To ease the investment burden, the obligation will be phased in. In the first year after the decree takes effect, coverage must reach 50% of the population. That rises to 65% in the second year and 75% in the third. The government expects the decree to be approved by the end of 2026.
- Year 1
- 50 %
- Year 2
- 65 %
- Year 3
- 75 %
Broader summit context
The DigitalES Summit also saw other announcements. Telefónica detailed its full deployment of a mini data centre network, and Vodafone España, in partnership with AST SpaceMobile, plans to launch a direct satellite-to-mobile service by 2027. Antonio Garamendi, president of the CEOE employers' association, called for a simpler digital regulatory framework, calling it the main concern of European businesses.
