Telecom companies to share networks during disasters: DoT

NEW DELHI: To improve communication network during disasters, the Department of Telecom (DoT) has asked telcos to share network with subscribers of other operators and also directed them to give public alerts to the users.

“It shall be mandatory to permit the intra circle roaming facilities by telecom service providers (TSPs) to customers of all other TSPs in the revenue districts affected during disasters for 15 days from the commencement or notification or announcement of disasters subject to mutually agreed commercial terms among them,” DoT said in a letter dated July 27 to the operators.

The department in April had asked the operators to implement priority call routing facilities for personnel responsible for 'response and recovery' during disasters.

DoT also directed operators to transmit public alerts based on cell broadcast service or SMS service to subscribers in the affected districts during disasters and emergency.

“The content of public alerts shall be provided by concerned disaster management authorities or concerned authorised agencies of state/central government,” the telecom department said.