Telecommunications
A failure of these electronic communication networks or services can not only be very annoying for yourself, but can also have a major impact on the industry or mobility.
BEFORE
- Agree in advance with your family where you can find each other if you are unable to reach each other.
DURING
- Do not call or use the Internet unnecessarily. Keep the network free for important calls.
- Are the emergency centres (112/101/100) unreachable? Then alternative numbers are available. Follow the official channels to stay informed. Use these numbers only in case of emergency.
- Follow the recommendations of the government.
AFTER
- Wait a little longer before calling or going on the Internet. Give the system time to stabilise.
Impact and probability
In 2018, the National Crisis Center coordinated a large-scale risk assessment for Belgium for the period 2018-2023. Several experts assessed various risks based on their probability and their impact on people, society, the environment and the economy.
For the risk of 'interruption of telecommunications due to an external cause', the analysis is:
- Impact: low impact
- Probability: likely
Read more about this analysis and what this chart means.
What does the government do?
The Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications oversees the safety and security of the electronic communication networks.
Operators of electronic communications are obliged to report all security incidents with a significant impact on their networks or services to the BIPT. Together with the operators, the BIPT also takes the necessary measures to guarantee the availability and security of the networks, paying particular attention to critical infrastructure.
In the event of a failure of the electronic communications networks or services, the BIPT is in contact with, among others, the National Crisis Center, the Centre for Cyber Security Belgium and the security and intelligence services in order to monitor the incident.