Greenland satellite services crippled by Spanish blackout
A failure in Spain's power system resulted in some residents of Greenland losing access to essential satellite services, reports Reuters. This is particularly problematic in the remote regions of the Danish island, which are known for their harsh climate.
Greenland, recognized for its severe climate and widely dispersed settlements, is currently facing significant disruptions in access to satellite services, according to Reuters. The telecommunications company Tussass has announced that residents in remote areas of the island have lost access to the internet, telephony, television, and radio.
This incident is a classic case of the so-called butterfly effect, stemming from Monday's blackout on the Iberian Peninsula. The company stated in its announcement that it lost connection with satellite devices located in Spain, which are crucial for providing services in Greenland.
"Right now there is no contact with our equipment in Maspalomas in Spain, which we are deeply dependent on to be able to supply customers in the satellite area," reads the statement quoted by Reuters.
The disruptions mainly affected remote settlements, including Ittoqqortoormiit, Qaanaaq, and Tasiilaq. However, it is not yet clear exactly how many residents have been deprived of services.
Blackout in Spain
The power outage in Spain and Portugal paralyzed street traffic, grounded planes, halted the railways, trapped many people in elevators and subway cars, and made phone contact impossible.
Spain's network operator Red Electrica announced on Tuesday morning (local time) that power supplies had been restored to nearly 90 percent of mainland Spain. It is estimated that the losses caused by the prolonged failure will be enormous. The newspaper "El Pais" estimates that the blackout could have cost the Spanish economy 5.1 billion USD.
The blackout in Spain was not caused by a cyberattack, assessed Carlos Cagigal, an expert in energy, renewable energy sources, and gas on the program "Al Rojo Vivo." In his opinion, "there was an excess of power in electricity generation, and the system failed."
