Regulator ANCOM sees rise in telecom security incidents, but impact on users has fallen sharply
In its latest report of telecom security incidents, Romania’s National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) has found that while the total number of reported incidents rose significantly – from 497 in 2023 to 861 in 2024 – the actual impact on end users decreased. The report, focusing on stats from 2024, highlights improved operational handling and faster remediation of disruptions across the country’s telecom infrastructure.
Mobile services continued to bear the brunt of the disruptions, reflecting their widespread use and dependence on complex, interconnected infrastructure. More than 9.8 million connections were affected in the case of mobile internet and data services, while approximately 6.8 million connections were impacted in mobile voice and SMS services.
Fixed internet and data services also saw substantial growth in the number of affected connections, though in many cases this was due to a handful of large-scale incidents. One fixed voice outage alone disrupted service to around 400,000 users.
External causes remained the dominant source of disruption, accounting for 798 of the 861 incidents reported and representing nearly double the number from 2023. These included unauthorised civil works, power outages, accidental fibre cuts and failures in partner networks. Power supply issues alone were responsible for over 55% of all reported incidents, underlining the vulnerability of telecom infrastructure to energy instability – which is a global problem.
However, the number of incidents caused by natural phenomena dropped sharply from 45 in 2023 to just 15 in 2024, and system errors were responsible for 40 incidents.
Shorter outages
One of the more encouraging findings in the report according to ANCOM is the reduction in the average duration of outages. Incidents caused by power failures or natural phenomena were resolved faster than in previous years. The ‘user-hours lost’ indicator – which reflects the total time users were without service – fell by more than 65%, from 512 million hours in 2023 to 154 million in 2024. The average number of users affected per incident also declined, suggesting a decent improvement in network resilience and incident response.
Geographically, incidents were reported across all of Romania’s counties. Higher concentrations were observed in areas where telecom networks rely on exposed infrastructure, such as power distribution networks or areas prone to extreme weather. Notably, 10 incidents in 2024 had a national-level impact, though ANCOM noted these were resolved more quickly than in previous years. The counties of Buzău, Constanța and Ilfov were the most affected.
ANCOM has reiterated its commitment to strengthening the resilience of telecom networks, pointing to new structural requirements introduced under Decision no. 70/2024, particularly regarding electricity backup systems. The regulator expects that as operators implement these requirements, the risk and impact of power-related incidents will decline over the coming years.
Despite the rise in incident numbers, the report indicates a maturing approach to incident management among the telcos. Faster response times, lower per-incident user impact, and progress in regulatory enforcement all point to a more robust and adaptable national communications infrastructure in the country.
