V-SATs have been sent to Feni for restoring telecommunication
Out of a total of 6,986 mobile towers in flood-affected 11 districts, 1,510 towers have become inoperable. As a result, mobile phone and internet communication is being disrupted in these areas. The mobile towers of Feni and Khagrachhari were the most affected. In the two districts, 42.4 and 41.5 percent of mobile towers are down, respectively.
Apart from keeping the mobile network running in all the flood-affected districts, the post and telecommunication department of the government has canceled the leave of the officers and employees of all their offices and organizations for speedy repair of towers. Not only that, five V-SATs (Very Small Aperture Terminals) have been sent to the Deputy Commissioner of Feni with the help of Bangladesh Satellite Company for round-the-clock communication with the flood-affected areas. Five more V-SATs are kept ready for dispatch.
The Department of Posts and Telecommunications has informed this information in a press release on Thursday.
According to the press release, control rooms have already been opened in offices and organizations under the Department of Posts and Telecommunications to ensure uninterrupted telecommunication network in the flood-affected areas. From there the situation is being monitored round the clock. Apart from this, emergency response teams have been formed at BTRC, BTCL and Teletalk under the Department of Posts and Telecommunications.
BTRC has issued various instructions to all mobile operators and tower controlling organizations to take necessary measures to keep mobile towers operational round the clock. The organization is also working with authorities concerned with power transmission and distribution to provide necessary support to ensure uninterrupted power for mobile towers.
The Department of Posts and Telecommunications has also instructed mobile operators to take necessary measures including taking adequate power backup (battery backup, diesel generator, portable generator etc.) to keep their own network system operational. The mobile phone connection companies have already given 500 megabytes of internet data free of cost to the people of the flood-affected areas.
