Telecom firms earn praise for uninterrupted service
KATHMANDU, APR 27 - Although people found it hard to make a phone call in single attempt, telecommunications service across the country remained largely unbroken after the massive earthquake, albeit with a few interruptions. The availability of almost all communications-related services in most parts of the country came as a much-needed relief for a large number of people.
People from home and abroad could connect with their loved ones all over the country, including in earthquake-affected areas, through landline and mobile phones. The unbroken telecommunications service helped people to communicate, learn about the condition and whereabouts of their near and dear ones, reorganize, and most importantly, give each other assurance that they are fine.
“I was more worried about the wellbeing of my family than my own when the earthquake first struck on Saturday,” said Susmita Ban, a local from Maharajgunj. “I breathed a sigh of relief when after calling for at least 40 to 50 times I finally received a text message from one of my family members stating that they are all safe while querying about my whereabouts.”
She said she was overcome with joy after receiving that text message.
Rojina Khatri Chhetri, a permanent resident of Bhaktapur, was in Birjung when the massive earthquake rocked Kathmandu and much of central Nepal. She immediately started fearing for their safety and wellbeing. “But I stopped worrying the moment I came in touch with my family and friends through my mobile phone,” Chhetri said.
Buddhi Prasad Acharya, managing director of state-owned Nepal Telecom, said that the telecom service operator managed to provide uninterrupted service to some extent through a strong optical fiber connection across the country.
“Apart from a strong penetration of BTS towers, extensive optical fiber connection helped us provide unbroken service to our customers,” he said. BTS towers facilitates wireless communications.
Acharya said that the state-owned telecommunication service provider was also ready to recover losses and resume service through the use of DR (disaster recovery) site, which is located outside Kathmandu. Meanwhile, Ncell, a privately owned mobile operator in Nepal, also provided an impressive service in the aftermath of the massive earthquake.
“We have our own specific parameters in the infrastructure development. This has reflected in our ability to provide quality service to our customers in the aftermath of the quake,” said Milan Mani Sharma, communication expert at Ncell.
Through its switching centres situated in Pokhara and Hetauda, Ncell claims it has capability to provide all the telecommunications service it provides in the event of an earthquake that are higher in magnitude.
“We can resume our services within an hour if there is any kind of interruption following such natural disasters,” assured Sharma.
Both NT and Ncell are charging their BTS towers through portable generators and giving it regular battery backup to make their services uninterrupted and intact.
People also made use of data services provided by NT and Ncell to get information about their friends and family and stay updated on the news through social media.
Source: eKantipur
