Mobile network and internet services have been disrupted in various coastal areas due to severe cyclone ‘Remal’. Mobile operators have already provided freenet, emergency balance services and weather updates on the app to be with the customers, but due to the disconnection of electricity and the end of power backup, the customers are not able to take that opportunity since Sunday night. Because, before Monday morning, most of the coastal areas in the southern part of the country have lost their mobile communication network.
Coastal residents are not able to contact their relatives on the phone at the time of disaster through any means of mobile or internet. According to sources, several sites (towers) in those areas have become defunct. Similarly, broadband internet service providers have more than two hundred PoP-downs. All the coastal areas of the country have been disconnected digitally. It is reported that each site has a battery backup of 3 to 4 hours for emergency use. Some sites also keep generators. However, due to Cyclone Remal, the network could not be kept operational even with special measures as there was no electricity in most areas of the southern region from Saturday evening.
Grameenphone, the mobile operator serving the largest number of customers, said that they are trying to bring them back under the fast connection. Leading operator Robi said that although there are problems in some places, there is no shortage of action at the field level to solve them immediately. However, no response was received from the authorities of state-owned mobile operators Teletalk and Banglalink.
In this regard, Grameenphone’s Head of Communications Sharfuddin Ahmed Chowdhury said, ‘We are in contact with all stakeholders including regulatory bodies and electricity authorities, and are working together. An emergency response team and control room have already been set up. We are trying to bring the disconnected areas back under connectivity soon.
Robi’s communication department said they are providing free minute emergency balance to customers during Cyclone Remal and cyclone updates on the app. Network outages and damage are not yet known as the storm continues.
ISPAB president Imdadul Haque said that due to cable cut and power disconnection, the broadband connection of Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pirojpur areas in the coastal areas has been completely disconnected. He said that due to the disaster, 90 percent of the broadband connections in Jhalkathi, Barguna, Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Feni, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Chandpur, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and the lower areas of their remote islands and chars have been disconnected. 6-7 lakh customers have suffered due to this. Due to longer-than-normal tides and storm surges, reconnection is not possible until conditions return to normal.
In such a situation, President of Mobile Phone Consumers Association Mohiuddin Ahmed said, it is important to start alternative generators for power backup of BTS. Affected residents are unable to contact their next of kin and government aid agencies. We think that urgent intervention of the Ministry and BTRC is necessary in this regard.
Meanwhile, the regulatory body Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has instructed the operators to take all possible steps to keep the connection operational. The organization will inform about how the telecommunication network has been damaged in the cyclone after the storm.
