Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Monday asked mobile operators and internet service providers to ensure proper service in coastal regions as Cyclone Sitrang approaches.
A BTRC notice in this regard said as the cyclone located in the north Bay is rapidly moving toward the coastal region, power supply is being hugely disrupted.
The notice was sent to all mobile phone operators, tower-company operators, Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network operators (NTTN), Internet Service Provider Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), and International Internet Gateway Association, Bangladesh (IIGAB).
Cyclone Sitrang is likely to disrupt people’s lives causing huge sufferings and telecommunication will become their only means of communication during the disaster, it said.
In this situation, BTRC asked the telecommunication operators and internet service providers to arrange portable generators and take other emergency measures to provide uninterrupted and quality service in cyclone hit regions.
Cyclone Sitrang is likely to intensify further, move in a north, north-easterly direction and cross Barishal-Chattogram coast near Khepupara by midnight or early Tuesday, the latest Met office bulletin said.
Meanwhile Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB), in a statement, said that due to the powerful cyclone Sitrang, they have experienced power outages in several areas in the southern part of the country.
“Mobile operators are doing their utmost to keep the network up and running by using batteries and generators wherever possible. Considering telecom service as an emergency public service, we urge the Power Division and other concerned authorities to ensure uninterrupted power,” it said.