Telecom operators have initiated intra-circle roaming in West Bengal and Odisha which have been hit by cyclone Yaas. Further, the telcos have deployed additional cells on wheels and stocked up diesel and batteries to keep the network up and running in calamity-hit zones.
The Cellular Operators Authority of India (COAI) has said that companies are coordinating with NDMA, state and the local authorities and taking preventive measures.
Commenting on the development, Lt. Gen. Dr. S P Kochhar, DG, COAI, said, “COAI and its members, along with Infrastructure Providers (IPs) ISPs, are closely monitoring the situation. We are also coordinating with NDMA, state and the local authorities. Preventive measures and steps to minimise the impact of Cyclone Yaas on telecom infrastructure in West Bengal and Odisha are being undertaken. In consultation with DoT, intra-circle roaming will be initiated in affected areas expected to be impacted by this cyclone, this will enable any telecom subscriber to latch on to any working network and not just be dependent only on their own network. This is to ensure that cell phone services always remain active.
“Additional Cell on Wheels (CoWs) have been pressed into service in anticipation of disruption to mobile towers. Diesel stocks and battery backup at telecom sites have been boosted in the event of power grid cuts. Frontline teams have identified overhead Optic Fibre Cables (OFC) that need to be safeguarded and teams kept at standby for quick repair and restoration of the networks and services. The priority for COAI and its members is to ensure that the adverse impact of Cyclone Yaas remains minimal and telecom services are resumed at the earliest wherever there’s disruption, ” he added.
