 "DoT sets up war room to ensure Biparjoy doesn't disrupt connectivity")
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set up a war room at its headquarters in New Delhi to ensure that cyclone Biparjoy, which is likely to make landfall in Gujarat, does not disrupt telecom connectivity.
The DoT will provide regular updates twice a day about how many sites have been affected and what contingent measures have been taken by telcos, officials said.
The telecom operators have commenced intra-circle roaming arrangements in the affected areas to allow subscribers to make calls and send messages utilising the network of any telecom firms. The operators will send alerts to consumers on a regular basis.
According to the guidelines, telecom operators should open a sufficient number of public calling booths for the public in affected areas. They should also ensure that in disaster-affected areas, no subscriber is denied access to voice/SMS communication due to any commercial consideration, whatsoever, including non-payment/insufficient balance/recharge, etc., and this facility shall continue for at least 15 days.
The rules also mandate telcos to keep, as inventory, portable base stations and satellite equipment for connectivity to restore mobile services disrupted due to damaged base tower stations.
Mobile operators such as Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio, and Bharti Airtel said that they are taking all precautions to ensure seamless connectivity in areas likely to be impacted by the cyclone.
A Jio spokesperson told The Economic Times, “Our team is on high alert to continuously monitor network connectivity across the state and areas that are likely to be affected by cyclone Biparjoy. Furthermore, we have ensured all necessary arrangements, including the deployment of additional manpower, vehicles, power backup, and spare parts at key locations, in order to facilitate a faster response time and minimise downtime.”