Telecom operators are undertaking various initiatives including the activation of intra-circle roaming, and deployment of portable sites while provisioning adequate diesel and battery backup to the tower sites, in order to mitigate the impact of cyclone Biparjoy on the telecom infrastructure, especially in areas like Kutchh, Jamnagar and Dwarka.
The operators are working with the Department of Telecommunications, infrastructure providers, national disaster management authority (NDMA) as well as local state entities to ensure that the impact on connectivity services stays minimal. The activation of intra-circle roaming allows subscribers of a telecom service provider to use the network from any telecom service provider in the area and not restrict the user to its current network service provider. This sharing of telecom infrastructure is a part of the government’s mandate for handling disaster situations.
Operators have anticipated electricity disruption and deployed batteries and diesel gensets for uninterrupted connectivity in the cyclone-affected areas. The diesel gensets and batteries usually work for 1-2 days while the operators have extra diesel to ensure connectivity, but unfortunately, the drawback to running towers on diesel is that one can not store diesel for 20 days. The impact has been severe in Kutchh, Jamnagar and Dwarka, but the connectivity will still be there in these places.
