Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has asked telecom service providers to ensure uninterrupted connectivity and strengthen emergency communication systems ahead of the anticipated impact of Cyclonic Storm Arnab, an official said on Sunday.
In a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Electronics and Information Technology Department, Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil called for urgent measures to strengthen preparedness and minimise possible disruptions to telecom services.
The measures include refuelling diesel generators at critical mobile tower sites, ensuring adequate battery backup and activating intra-circle roaming to allow subscribers to access available networks during service disruptions.
The letter also called for priority routing and dedicated bandwidth for emergency services, administrative officials and first responders to facilitate effective coordination during disaster response operations.
It recommended pre-positioning mobile towers, known as Cell on Wheels (CoWs), and satellite phones in vulnerable coastal and low-lying areas to maintain communication in the event of network failures.
The government also stressed the need to deploy field maintenance teams equipped with essential tools, equipment and spare parts to ensure the swift restoration of damaged telecom infrastructure.
Patil said coordinated action by telecom operators, infrastructure providers and other stakeholders would help minimise communication gaps and support emergency response efforts.
The preparedness measures are aimed at mitigating potential disruptions to communication networks caused by high winds and heavy rainfall associated with the approaching storm, the letter stated.
