The value of coordination for restoring power and wireless communication networks

In the aftermath of natural disasters, the rapid restoration of critical infrastructures — in this paper we focus on power and wireless cellular networks — is imperative but is complicated by the complexities of cascading failures between infrastructures. Cellular networks require electricity to operate, meaning their restoration processes cannot be siloed from power network restoration. We develop a framework that captures this fundamental dependency and prescribes actions that maximize demand served by both networks. We then evaluate the effects of coordination between power and cellular network decision makers, ranging from perfect coordination — where power and cellular restoration efforts are optimized simultaneously — to zero coordination — where decision makers restore their networks without knowledge of other decision makers’ restoration plans. We use this framework to explore the practical impacts of coordination for restoration following a simulated hurricane in Guayama, Puerto Rico. We find that perfect coordination can bolster cellular restoration outcomes at a limited cost to power restoration outcomes. We also explore the benefits of prioritizing certain critical assets in the power restoration problem, showing how this coordination can capture some of the benefits of perfect coordination. Finally, we find that information sharing between power and cellular network decision makers has little impact on restoration outcomes.