Telecommunication systems' performance: Christchurch earthquakes

Telecommunication systems generally performed better than other lifelines in the Christchurch-area earthquake sequence of 2010–2011; however, various service interruptions were a major concern for subscribers. Power disruption was the primary reason for service interruption in Christchurch, as has been similarly observed in many other major earthquakes around the world. Extensive ground failures impacted underground cabling, while Central Offices (COs) sustained minor damage due to strong shaking. Closure of the Central Business District and increased call volumes created additional strain on telecommunication service providers to deal with emergency response. This paper presents the findings of the post-earthquake lifeline performance investigations of both the landline network and the cellular network. Voice and data services of these networks are examined and commented based on the findings. The authors' view of rendering the telecommunication systems more resilient is presented (Eidinger and Tang 2014).