PTA Issues Emergency Advisory Amid Flood Crisis

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued an advisory for telecom operators to ensure the provision of uninterrupted telecom services and contingency plans given the flood emergency in various parts of the country. During such natural disasters, the dependence of the general public and public/private sector organizations on reliable telecommunication services increases significantly for relief coordination, public awareness, and safety.

All telecom operators are directed to ensure preparedness and have contingency plans for the continued provision of telecom services across the country, including AJ&K and GB. PTA has established a National Emergency Telecommunication Coordination Center (NETCC). To monitor the status of telecommunication services during disasters/floods and deal with any emergency effectively.

The following are guidelines for emergency preparedness and response:

a) Ensure the safety and security of all physical infrastructure by CTDISR standards, focusing on infrastructure in vulnerable/high-risk areas.

b) Necessary resources should remain available at all levels to ensure the smooth functioning of voice/data services and networks. All support staff must be adequately equipped and follow safety protocols during field operations in affected areas.

c) Any major communications breakdown shall immediately be reported to NETCC established at PTA HQs and the concerned zonal office under whose jurisdiction the breakdown occurs; subsequent updates on the restoration efforts shall be shared with PTA on incident occurrence and in a 6 x 6-hourly cumulative report.

d) Disseminate flood-related awareness messages and emergency alerts from all CMOs in national and regional languages, as required by relevant authorities.

These may include:

1) Information dissemination regarding flood warnings, evacuation plans, and relief measures.

2) Location-Based Services (LBS) to inform users in specific affected areas.

3) Publicizing emergency numbers for access to police, rescue, and medical services.

4) Ensuring telecommunications support for emergency responders, including reliable connectivity.

5) Restoration of hub sites shall be given top priority to stabilize core connectivity.

6) Ensure the arrangement and availability of necessary spare parts and fuel for generators (gensets). To support timely fault rectification and uninterrupted operations.

7) Dedicated trained teams should be deployed at the local and regional levels for effective response and recovery.

8) Where applicable, implement Self-Organizing Network (SON) features to allow for automatic reconfiguration and network resilience.

9) In extreme cases and where technically feasible, deployment of a Cell on Wheels (COW) and/or VSAT should be considered to restore coverage in severely affected areas.

10) All Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) and Local Loop Operators should ensure that customers continue to have access to essential services. (e.g., top-ups, scratch cards, SIM provision), particularly in flood-affected regions.

11) Coordinate with local authorities to ensure the operation of franchises, top-up outlets, and network infrastructure in impacted areas.

12) Redress consumer complaints efficiently through fully equipped and mobile support teams. Within the shortest possible time, while observing flood response protocols.