NTA requests not to make phone busy during disaster

NTA (Nepal Telecommunication Authority), has asked people in flood-affected areas not to make phone busy for long during disaster situation. A huge number of base stations/Tower in province 1 and 2 are not operational due to optical fiber cut and no electricity supply. So, NTA issues the public notice for the effective use of the mobile network for disaster.

The regulator has also asked the telcos to restore the network with alternative means. To aid in the disaster relief and response works, authorities need to assure effective communication mechanism. So, NTA requests the respective people not to make the network congested by using the network longer.

Capacity and congestion

Mobile tower or base stations have limited capacity, in the sense that it can cater to a limited number of subscribers. If people keep on making calls for a longer duration, the network resources will be highly utilized, making difficult to allow new calls. The situation commonly called Congestion just like the traffic on a road.

Mobile operators try best to avoid network congestion during the disaster period to allow emergency communication at all times. They have hard times as the capacity has gone down due to the majority of telecom tower outage in flood-affected areas.

We have posted a separate article on “Why mobile networks suffer during a disaster situation“. In the same article, we pointed out the means which the telcos use for tackling the situation.

They have been restoring the network by splicing optical fiber, running generators, transmission routing and replacing damaged equipment.

This request comes as a public notice which they think may make people aware and act accordingly. They believe awareness in the people helps to avoid congestion, for emergency communication, relief/response works.

Tell us if you are ready to comply with the authorities request to use the mobile network to that extent? If you know, this helps for effective communication for disaster response, relief.