Nezlamni Online: Providing Uninterrupted Communication

Last fall, the Russians launched a series of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with 15 mass strikes by the enemy. Lviv was under fire about ten times, leading to problems with power, heating, and communication. Russia is focused on bringing Ukraine back to the “Stone Age,” hence the continued rocket terror. That’s why the Lviv IT Cluster has launched the Nezlamni Online project, which aims to provide access to communication even in critical situations.

The idea of the project arose in response to the first blackout in Lviv on October 10 last year. In the morning, the Russians attacked the city’s energy system, and explosions were heard in every districts. Almost immediately, there were power outages and communication completely collapsed, with no mobile operator’s internet working. The city was effectively cut off for eight hours.

“Every Ukrainian has experienced how unpleasant and frightening it is to find oneself in an information vacuum when it’s impossible to determine whether the air raid alarm has ended and, most importantly, whether your loved ones are safe. We want no one in Ukraine to face this anymore. That’s why we started creating places near district administrations where people can come during critical situations to contact their loved ones and get the latest news,” says Stepan Veselovskyi, CEO of the Lviv IT Cluster.

Together with partners, the Lviv IT Cluster started implementing the project at the end of December. The first towers were installed at the beginning of January. As of now, 5 towers had been installed near district administrations in Lviv. Soon, a similar tower will be built near the city council. All towers have generators and lighting connected, are autonomous, and are visible in the dark. There instructions are written on the walls. Therefore, anyone can easily connect to the internet even during power outages.

“It should not be forgotten that there are still no safe places in our country, and a dangerous situation can arise at any moment. Therefore, we constantly need to be prepared for a deterioration of the situation, including in terms of power supply and communication. Lviv has become a pilot site for testing a critical initiative from the Lviv IT Cluster. Internet access points installed in 5 locations in Lviv are provided with backup power and can operate without a centralized power supply. Starlink provides the availability of communication and the internet even if mobile operators are experiencing problems. We are grateful for the initiative of our long-standing partner, the Lviv IT Cluster. We are ready to share the experience of implementing this project with other communities in Ukraine. Together to victory!,” says the Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi.

Recently, the sixth tower was installed near the St. Pantaleon First Territorial Medical Association Hospital in Lviv. The National Rehabilitation Center “Unbroken” is also located on the medical association’s premises, where military and civilian personnel injured due to Russian armed aggression undergo treatment and rehabilitation.

“The installation of a free WiFi zone in front of the St. Pantaleon Hospital (Municipal Non-Profit Enterprise “First Territorial Medical Association of Lviv”) is an important step in providing convenience and comfort for patients and visitors of the hospital. Free internet access will allow patients and their families to quickly and conveniently communicate with their loved ones and receive necessary information. In addition, hospital visitors can use the internet to search for necessary health and treatment information”, Oleh Samchuk, General Director of the First Medical Association of Lviv.

Thanks to the efforts of Ukrainian energy workers and the help of international partners, Ukraine is living without power cuts. However, the Ministry of Energy warns that the next winter will be no less challenging. As a result of Russian strikes in Ukraine, there is not a single thermal or hydroelectric power station that has not been damaged. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare for the winter period. The Lviv IT Cluster is ready to share its experience in implementing the Nezlamni Online project so that you can install towers in your communities in Ukraine.