Ensuring mobile and internet connection for Ukrainians - State Special Communication Service

Tuesday, 1 March 2022, 08:15 AM

The Ukraine State Special Communications Service is in contact with Ukrainian mobile operators to ensure that Ukrainians continue to enjoy uninterrupted access to calls and internet and that the Russia aggressors have a hard time blocking communications in the country.

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs , quoting the Ukraine State Special Communications Service

The Ministry says: "The State Special Communication Service is in constant communication with Ukrainian mobile operators and works continuously to ensure Ukrainians’ uninterrupted access to calls and internet."

Accidents at, sabotage of, and missile hits on telecommunication infrastructure are a real possibility.

However, mobile operators, together with the relevant authorities, are quickly responding to restore any damaged equipment and re-establish citizens' connection to the networks."

Details: The State Special Communication Service also dismissed several items of fake news that have been circulated on social media:

• FAKE: Russian occupying forces are planning to shut down Ukrainian mobile communications and internet and replace it with this own, more powerful signal, to which Ukrainians’ mobile phones will be automatically connected

The agency says that the enemy can turn off the Ukrainian mobile connection in the occupied territories if it disables or destroys the base stations.

However, to broadcast their signal onto Ukrainian territory, they would need a sufficiently powerful transmitter that would have the capacity to cover tens of kilometres with its signal.

This means that replacing Ukrainian operators’ signals over the entire territory of the country, or even region, is not possible. Furthermore, if a mobile phone attempts to connect to an enemy network, its owner will immediately receive a message regarding roaming.

The Service also guarantees that there will be no scheduled interruptions of mobile communication in Ukraine.

• Our armed forces cannot lose their mobile connection as a result of this kind of enemy action, because they and the country’s leadership are using a specially protected connection. Their communications are protected, and their conversations are not tapped, thanks to encryption and other protective mechanisms.

At the same time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine stated that Ukrainians should take care to use backup communication channels during wartime. These may include landline phones, optical fibre connection to the network, or a radio (to maintain communication with neighbours).