Tripura experienced severe disruptions due to unprecedented heavy rainfall and flooding between August 19 and August 23, leading to significant damage to telecom infrastructure and widespread service outages. In response, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), along with telecom service providers (TSPs) such as BSNL, Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi), has successfully restored over 94% of the affected regions, according to a statement from the Ministry of Communications.
Collaborative Efforts for Rapid Restoration
The DoT has been closely monitoring the situation through its North East Licence Service Area (NE-LSA) field unit, working in coordination with TSPs, the State Administration, and the State Disaster Management unit to ensure swift restoration of services.
➡️ @DoT_India and Telecom Service Providers make significant progress in restoring services in flood-hit Tripura
— PIB India (@PIB_India) August 26, 2024
➡️ DoT enforces Intra Circle Roaming in #Tripura
➡️ TSPs working relentlessly to maintain essential communication services for bringing normalcy
Read here:… pic.twitter.com/a1QX5wpLVX
Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) Activated
To further assist during the crisis, the DoT implemented Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) in Tripura from August 22 to August 27, 2024. This allowed customers to access services from any available TSP network, irrespective of their original provider. Prompt activation of this measure by all TSPs helped keep people connected despite the infrastructure damage, the Ministry stated.
In response to requests from state disaster management authorities, TSPs swiftly replaced damaged telecom equipment in the affected areas. This rapid action ensured that both distressed residents and rescue teams maintained critical communication links during the crisis.
Additional Measures by Telecom Service Providers
Jio extended the validity of its prepaid plans by four days for customers in the affected areas whose plans had either expired or were set to expire within the next two days. Airtel provided 1.5GB of free mobile data per day along with unlimited calling for four days to prepaid customers whose plans had expired and who were unable to recharge. For postpaid customers, Airtel extended bill payment deadlines by 30 days to ensure uninterrupted service.
