ANCOM released its Report on incidents affecting the security of electronic communications networks and services in 2024. Although the total number of incidents increased to 861 in 2024, reported data show a lesser impact on users and shorter repair times, indicating better incident management at operations level.
Affected connections
Similarly to the previous years, mobile services – voice, internet and data transmission – were affected the most frequently, given their high usage level and reliance on interconnected infrastructures. More than 9.8 million connections were affected in the case of mobile internet and data services, while approx. 6.8 million connections were affected in the case of mobile telephony and SMS. Fixed services saw significant variation based on affected environments, mainly following large-scale isolated incidents.
Causes of incidents
External causes (unauthorized works, power outages, fiber optic cuts, problems in partner networks) were again the main source of incidents, with 798 cases (compared to 421 in 2023). Specifically, power supply deficiencies caused over 55% of the total 861 incidents. Incidents caused by natural phenomena decreased significantly (from 45 in 2023 to 15 in 2024), whereas system errors produced 40 incidents.
Duration and scale of incidents
An important positive aspect observed is that the average duration of incident repair times was shorter in 2024, especially in the case of incidents caused by natural phenomena or power supply problems. Furthermore, the user-hour lost indicator – which reflects the real degree of discomfort felt by users – was more than 65% lower than in the previous year (154 million hours compared to 512 million hours in 2023). The average number of affected users per incident also decreased compared to the previous year.
Geographical distribution and infrastructure management
The incidents in 2024 featured a diversified geographical distribution, being reported in all counties, with a higher number in areas where communications networks rely on above-ground infrastructures (caused by public works, weather phenomena, power grid failures). 10 incidents had a national impact, being remedied within a shorter time than similar ones in previous years.
The counties of Buzau, Constanta and Ilfov were the most affected by such incidents.
Structural measures and prospects
ANCOM continues to implement structural measures towards increasing the resilience of communications networks, such as the provisions of Decision no. 70/2024 on electricity backup requirements. These measures will directly support reducing the risks posed by power outages and improving the responsiveness to crisis situations.
ANCOM’s Report
ANCOM’s report on incidents affecting the security of electronic communications networks and services in 2024 was prepared based on the information made available by the providers and is available, in Romanian, here.