Following the 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia this week, telecommunications networks experienced outages that disrupted connectivity in several regions of the country, reports Infobae. According to the carriers, the situation is already showing signs of gradual recovery.

Claro and Tigo have seen a decrease in outage reports on platforms such as Downdetector, particularly in the hardest-hit departments: Chocó, Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda, and Valle del Cauca.

The operators’ priorities were to restore base stations, fiber-optic networks, and main nodes. Claro reported that 80 percent of its base stations and all fiber-optic nodes in the affected areas are now operating normally. The company attributed the rapid recovery to the work of its technical teams and the activation of contingency protocols.

During the first three days following the earthquake, Claro managed to restore nearly half of the affected stations and make progress in normalizing its strategic networks, which helped ensure the gradual restoration of service.

Recovery efforts included the installation of 26 power generators in cities such as Quibdó, Pereira, and Cali, in order to compensate for the lack of electrical power and keep backup systems operational.

At the same time, Tigo noted that its technical teams are conducting continuous monitoring and working to stabilize the networks, addressing issues stemming from power outages, infrastructure damage, and increased traffic due to high demand for communications following the earthquake.

Although progress has been made, operators continue to face external factors that hinder the full restoration of service: prolonged power outages, obstacles to accessing areas with damaged infrastructure, and limitations on fuel supplies for power plants. In some areas, these conditions still restrict the operation of network nodes and base stations.

Coordination with local authorities has been crucial in accelerating repairs. Claro and Tigo maintain direct communication with government agencies to prioritize critical areas and update users through official channels, which has allowed them to optimize resources and expedite technical interventions.

Real-time monitoring of public sentiment, through platforms such as Downdetector, continues to reflect the evolution of disruptions to telecommunications services.

Recent reports on Claro focus on broadband Internet outages (46 percent), WiFi outages (27 percent), and mobile Internet outages (16 percent). Downdetector recorded a peak in incidents between 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm on August 12, while the rest of the day showed more stable performance.

For Movistar, the main reports relate to broadband Internet (30 percent), mobile signal (27 percent), and mobile Internet (26 percent), with fluctuations throughout the day and a higher concentration of outages between 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm on Wednesday.

For Tigo, the most frequent issues relate to mobile Internet (31 percent), mobile signal (24 percent), and broadband Internet (22 percent). The platform shows a scattered distribution of reports without marked peaks, suggesting a gradual stabilization of the network, although isolated disruptions persist.

Users of Claro, Tigo, Wom, and Starlink in Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Quindío, and Caldas received free mobile data following the August 10 earthquake. Starlink also enabled free service in the affected areas and provided credits to reactivate subscriptions.

This piece was automatically translated from DCD's Spanish site and edited by a member of DCD staff.