Resilience and fragility of the telecommunication network to seismic events

Abstract

This paper provides an overview on the physical and functional performance of the New Zealand telecommunication network following the 14 November 2016 Kaikōura earthquake (Mw 7.8). Firstly, the paper provides an overview of the New Zealand telecommunications infrastructure. Secondly, the paper presents preliminary information on the impacts of the Kaikōura earthquake on the telecommunication network following the format proposed by [1] for post-earthquake assessment and resilience analysis of infrastructure systems, namely: extent of earthquake-induced physical impacts on the components of the telecommunication networks, identified according to a proposed taxonomy; main observed dependency issues; identification of resilience attributes and strategies that allowed an effective and rapid reinstatement of the telecommunication service. Finally lessons learned and research needs are discussed.