The ministry's Deputy Secretary General for Digital Development Erik Janson stated that he could not publicly comment on how many communication cables would need to be severed to disrupt communication services in Estonia.

While there is currently no concern about interruptions to communication services, the overall situation remains problematic.

"There's no need to worry about the situation right now. Communication services are well-maintained by Elisa as well as other operators. However, the situation as a whole is definitely concerning, particularly due to the repeated incidents of damage to underwater infrastructure over the past couple of years. Looking back at the statistics, prior to the events of the last one or two years, it had been relatively quiet," Janson said.

There are currently six communication cables under the sea between Finland and Estonia, with plans for more in the future.

"There are currently two cables running toward Sweden and six toward Finland, owned by three different companies. In addition to these eight cables already in place, several others are currently in the planning stage," Janson explained.

According to Janson, the timeline for starting repairs on the damaged communication cables will be clarified by Friday. Weather conditions will play a key role. Unlike underwater electrical cables, repairing communication cables is significantly easier.

"Specialized ships are used for these repairs, and the biggest time-consuming factor is finding suitable weather conditions. Weather is the greatest enemy of these repair operations. In general, the actual repair work for a single cable takes relatively little time – just a few days," Janson said.

In addition to undersea communication cables, satellite connections also serve as a backup.

"Satellite communication has certain nuances. It is suitable for providing internet services to end users via satellite. However, offering services like internet is quite challenging, and the available bandwidth is very limited," Janson noted.

In emergency situations, companies are required to ensure connectivity even if cables are severed.

"In Estonia, telephone communication – whether through mobile or landline phones – as well as SMS services must function even in situations where external connections are entirely absent. This is a legal requirement that telecom companies must meet. Additionally, notification services, such as the EE-Alarm, are similarly designed to operate independently of external connections. All notifications must continue to work," Janson emphasized.

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