The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has been working tirelessly to restore telecom services in flood-hit Tripura. Despite significant challenges, joint efforts by telecom service providers, including BSNL, Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone, have led to the restoration of over 94% of the telecom network in the affected areas.
This has been crucial in maintaining communication for rescue teams, government officials, and the general public during the ongoing crisis.
Tripura experienced severe disruptions due to unprecedented heavy rainfall, which triggered intense flooding from August 19 to August 23. The floods caused substantial damage to telecom infrastructure, leading to widespread service interruptions. However, a coordinated response from DoT and telecom service providers ensured that connectivity was restored in a remarkably short time.
The DoT, in collaboration with its North East Licence Service Area (NE-LSA) unit and service providers, has been continuously reviewing the situation. The local DoT unit in Tripura worked closely with the State Administration, State Disaster Management unit, and telecom providers to restore the network swiftly. Additionally, Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) was enforced in Tripura from August 22 to August 27, 2024, allowing customers to access services from any available telecom network, regardless of their subscription.
Telecom service providers have replaced damaged equipment in affected areas, ensuring that distressed residents, as well as rescue and disaster management teams, could stay connected. Moreover, Jio has extended the validity of its prepaid plans by four days for customers whose plans had recently expired or were set to expire soon. Airtel has offered 1.5 GB of free mobile data per day and unlimited calling for four days to prepaid customers who were unable to recharge. Post-paid customers across networks have also received a 30-day extension on bill payment deadlines.
These measures have played a vital role in helping Tripura's residents and rescue operations during this critical time.