Telcos clarify why phone networks not working in flood areas
BI Desk || BusinessInsider
Photo: Collected
Most parts of Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrokona districts in the northeastern parts of the country have been inundated by the monsoon flood waters, disrupting power supply to those areas, according to a statement by the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) issued on Sunday.
Amid this situation, mobile service providers said they are trying to keep the network running with generators in those areas. However, due to the disruption of road communication, it has become difficult to reach the generators at the sites.
“Getting generator oil to the sites has become challenging. In this situation, the mobile operators in collaboration with the Bangladesh Army, local administration and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission are trying to keep the telecommunication system running,” says AMTOB.
Around 45 percent of sites of mobile carriers including Banglalink, Grameenphone, Robi and Teletalk in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrokona districts are still down. Due to lack of electricity, customers are not able to charge their handsets, in many cases. It may be mentioned here that since last Friday, several toll-free numbers have been introduced for those areas where customers do not have to spend any money to talk to these numbers.
The toll-free numbers are: Divisional Flood Monitoring Cell: 01987781144, 01769177266, 01852788000, 01513918096; Sylhet: 01995781144, 01769177268, 01852804477, 01513918098; Sunamganj: 01993781144, 01769177267, 01852798800, 01513918097