Disrupted Power Supply in Spain and Portugal Sparks Speculation Regarding Elon Musk's Starlink Satellite Service
Power Outage Chaos in Spain and Portugal: Starlink Shines as a Lifeline
On April 28th, 2025, the Iberian Peninsula was plunged into darkness, causing widespread disruptions. Trains, subways, and elevators halted, but the chaos didn't stop there. Many residents were also left without telephone connections and internet for hours. But for some, life went on relatively uninterrupted – those equipped with Starlink satellite internet, a service provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX.
"When traditional relay antennas lacked backup generators – a common occurrence with the modern ones – the transmission was severed from the network's core," explains Albert Banchs, director of the Center for Advanced Technological Research Studies in Madrid.
The extraordinary power outage sparked frenzied purchases of battery-powered radios by the population desperate for information, while others managed to keep connected, some more or less normally. Those with Starlink stood out as the unsung heroes of the day.
According to Luke Kehoe, Europe industrial analyst at Ookla, the American network diagnostic company, "Speedtest data showed record daily usage of Starlink in Spain and Portugal during the outage, with performance maintained despite some latency degradation. Some ground stations were affected, and traffic had to be routed through neighboring countries like Italy."
While Starlink usage surged – increasing by 35% in Spain and Portugal on April 28th compared to the average of the previous twenty days, and by 60% on April 29th in Spain – the service faced some obstacles. Ground stations failed, necessitating connection to Italian counterparts. Moreover, the unprecedented surge in demand impacted performance, although the satellite-based network still provided a crucial lifeline when traditional networks stumbled.
In times of crisis, Starlink remains a resilient alternative, outperforming traditional mobile coverage, which saw network consistency drop to just half its regular rate on April 28th, while Starlink connection held strong. The contrast underscores Starlink's importance as a backup solution during critical infrastructure failures.
Sources:
[1] Le Monde (April 29, 2025)[2] researchgate.net[3] Reuters (April 29, 2025)[4] Ookla report "Starlink's Performance During the Spain-Portugal Power Outage" (May 3, 2025)
- Despite the common failure of backup generators in modern relay antennas, those with Starlink satellite internet, a service provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX, maintained relatively uninterrupted lifestyles during the Iberian Peninsula's power outage.
- In the wake of the power outage, there was a spike in purchases of battery-powered radios among the population seeking information, while those with Starlink stood out as the unsung heroes of the day.
- According to Luke Kehoe, Europe industrial analyst at Ookla, the American network diagnostic company, Starlink showed record daily usage in Spain and Portugal during the outage, with performance maintains despite some latency degradation.
- The unprecedented surge in demand for Starlink increased the service's usage by 35% in Spain and Portugal on April 28th compared to the average of the previous twenty days, and by 60% on April 29th in Spain, underscoring its importance as a backup solution during critical infrastructure failures.
