GSMA Warns Storms Could Double Telecom Repair Costs
A new GSMA report models climate-driven damage to mobile networks in more than 50 countries and proposes five resilience policy principles.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Telecommunications
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The GSMA released a report assessing climate risk to telecommunications networks, finding that severe storms and floods cost mobile operators $1.7 billion annually in cell-site repairs and replacement. The group also published five policy principles for mobile network resilience.
Why it matters
Growing climate risks are pushing operators to invest in network hardening, backup power, and rapid-response capabilities. The GSMA argues for outcome-based policy and cross-sector resilience planning among operators, governments, emergency services, and energy providers.
Major storms and floods coincided with about 150 telecom outages a year between 2022 and 2024, directly affecting just under 215 million service users annually across more than 50 countries. The report's cost figures do not capture fixed-network damage, wildfire, extreme heat, or lost revenue.
The players
GSMA
The GSMA is the global trade association representing mobile network operators worldwide, known for industry standards and policy advocacy.
The details
Severe weather often disrupts mobile service through power failures rather than direct equipment damage, which is why operators are investing in backup power, redundant connections, and emergency roaming. The analysis models future costs using projected mid-century climate conditions.
Timeline
2022 to 2024: Major storms and floods averaged about 150 telecom outages annually.
November 3, 2026: The GSMA released the climate risk report and policy principles.
2050: Projected annual network repair costs could exceed $3 billion.
Big Picture
The GSMA's five resilience principles extend its ongoing policy work by moving from general preparedness to quantified, climate-specific cost modeling for mobile operators. The report places telecom climate risk alongside critical infrastructure and emergency-preparedness regulation that operators already navigate.
Storm-driven outages can cut off mobile service for millions of users, so the investments the report describes, such as backup power and emergency roaming, shape how reliably phones work during severe weather. Rising repair costs could also influence the prices and service planning operators pass along to customers over time.
The takeaway
Mobile service during storms depends heavily on backup power and redundant connections, so keeping a charged power bank and knowing your carrier's emergency roaming options can help you stay connected when networks fail.
Further reading
For more on how networks are built and protected, explore our Telecommunications coverage.
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Do you trust your local mobile network to stay working during severe storms?
