Mairies to get vital phone links

MAIRIES in the Landes and France Telecom are testing a new secure telephone network to avoid problems such as happened after the 2009 storms, when large areas were left for several days with no communication links.

A new satellite internet phone network could give the 300 mairies vital continued access, along with uninterrupted power from the installation of 1,000km of underground power cables by 2011.