Mobile networks in Portugal that experienced the least disruption during the power outage.
MEO's Mobile Network Shines in Portugal's Power Outage
In the wake of the widespread power outage that hit Portugal on April 28, 2025, MEO's mobile network emerged as the most resilient, maintaining service for its subscribers even in challenging circumstances.
According to a study conducted by Ookla, the MEO mobile network was the least affected during the blackout. On average, MEO subscribers were half as likely to experience a complete loss of service compared to NOS subscribers, four times less likely than Vodafone subscribers, and an impressive six times less likely than Digi subscribers[1].
This resilience can be attributed to MEO's robust and widely deployed battery backup systems, which helped mitigate and delay the impacts of the power outage across the network infrastructure. These battery backups played a crucial role in maintaining service for tens of thousands of MEO subscribers throughout the day[2].
MEO's infrastructure also benefited from investments in high availability and recovery technology, such as Oracle Exadata Cloud@Customer and Recovery Appliances. These technologies enhance data security, availability, and recoverability, thereby supporting network continuity even under critical conditions[2].
In contrast, Digi's network suffered the most, with up to 90% of its subscribers experiencing outages lasting more than 24 hours. This was largely due to critical gaps in redundancy from mobile edge sites to core infrastructure and an overall less mature network build in Portugal[1].
NOS and Vodafone also faced service degradation but were less resilient than MEO. While Vodafone is recognised for overall network quality and reliability in normal operation, during the blackout, it still experienced higher service losses than MEO[1][5].
In summary, MEO's strengthened battery backup deployment and advanced infrastructure resilience technologies were the primary factors allowing its network to maintain mobile voice, SMS, and data services more effectively during the blackout compared to Digi, NOS, and Vodafone[1][2]. This underscores the importance of robust infrastructure and backup systems in ensuring network continuity during power outages and other critical events.
[1] Ookla, "Portugal's Power Outage: Mobile Network Performance Analysis," April 2025. [2] MEO, "MEO's Infrastructure Resilience Technologies," April 2025. [3] Digi, "Portugal Power Outage: Impact on Digi's Mobile Network," April 2025. [4] NOS, "NOS's Performance During Portugal's Power Outage," April 2025. [5] Vodafone, "Vodafone's Performance During Portugal's Power Outage," April 2025.
Despite the widespread power outage in Portugal on April 28, 2025, smartphone users relying on MEO's network could still connect to their favorite online platforms, thanks to MEO's technology-enhanced battery backup systems and advanced infrastructure resilience. Furthermore, in contrast to other providers like Digi, NOS, and Vodafone, MEO's gadget-active subscribers experienced considerably fewer disruptions, highlighting the importance of robust technology investments in ensuring network continuity during power outages.
