How Spain's blackout unfolded

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Spain's massive power outage provides a sobering lesson in how dependent we've become on interconnected systems. The blackout that struck the Iberian Peninsula affected both nations with power physically lost – and those where electricity stayed on but digital connections failed.

The Canary Islands experienced a peculiar version of this crisis. Despite having their own isolated power grids that remained functional, the islands suffered a complete communications blackout. Mobile networks went dead, internet connections failed, and even landlines fell silent.

Why? Because the islands' telecommunications systems still depended on mainland infrastructure. When a key exchange in Seville lost power, it effectively cut the digital cords connecting the Canaries to the world, despite local electricity still flowing.