|
|
|
| October 31, 2005 | Monday | Ramzan 26, 1426 |
Telecom links restored in quake-hit areas
ISLAMABAD, Oct 30: Thanks to swift and combined response of the government, private companies and international community, basic telecom infrastructure has been restored in the quake-stricken zone to ensure accelerated relief activities.
Efforts to completely repair and rehabilitate telecommunication network in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Northern Areas is in full swing and the whole system will become operational within a few days.
The restoration of telecomm links is critical for supporting the relief operations in the quake-stricken region and the government is striving for complete restoration of the system.
The devastating earthquake on October 8 that ravaged a large swathe of population also damaged 48 of the 132 telephone exchanges operating in the AJK region.
As a consequence, 20,173 of the 104,433 lines installed in the area with 10 microwave stations were damaged.
The government launched the repair work immediately after the quake and all the exchanges in the AJK have been repaired, resulting in the restoration of telephone lines. Of the 10 microwave stations, nine have been made operational.
In the Northern Areas, where telecom services are provided by the Special Communication Organization, 635 of the 24,249 installed lines were damaged but they were promptly restored on October 10.
The earthquake also caused serious damage to the PTCL network in Hazara Telecom Region where 19 exchanges were rendered out of service, affecting 13,902 lines. The telephone exchanges have been made functional, resulting in restoration of phone lines.
A repeater at Tundi has been repaired and a new containerized exchange has been installed there to help restore 300 broken lines.
The Peshawar-Abbottabad line has been enhanced with 60 additional circuits to take over-flow traffic of Muzaffarabad.
The PTCL, besides rectifying faults in the telephone lines, has donated 50 satellite-phone terminals for use in the AJK.
Around 43 free satellite-phone PCOs are operating in the affected area and another 15 satellite telephone terminals are coming from abroad for being installed in the affected areas.
Similarly, the PTCL has provided 1,170 additional circuits to connect to the SCO network in the AJK area. The communication system in the region has been boosted by 45 outgoing and 17 incoming free PCOs set up by PTCL.
The telecom industry in the country is showing a positive response to the relief efforts and working to evolve a coordinated response to the disaster.
“The enormity of the task in front of us is such that we are glad to accept all offers of assistance, particularly in telecom services, since without information, it is next to impossible to coordinate the relief effort,” said Minister for Telecom and IT Awais Ahmed Leghari.
He said the World Economic Forum had offered help in restoring the telecom links in the quake-hit region and their experts would be shortly visiting Pakistan to prepare a feasibility of the wireless-based infrastructure.
The government has permitted private mobile phone companies to launch their services to facilitate the people of far flung quake-hit areas. The companies have extended their services to the quake-hit capital of the AJK and set up free PCOs in the affected areas.—-APP
|
|
|
|
