Cyclone Yaas: Net firms better prepared this time

KOLKATA: Surveys of optic fibre cables are underway to identify vulnerable spots and take remedial action; multiple mobile teams have been set up and locations assigned to carry out damage assessment and repairs; materials like OFC, router, media connector, optical network unit and optical network terminal are stocked up in adequate quantity.
Lessons learnt during the widespread disruption after Amphan are being put to use by internet service providers as they brace for another severe cyclone some time on Wednesday evening.
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Representatives of Alliance Broadband, SitiCable affiliate Indian Cable Net Co Ltd (ICNCL) and Reliance Jio Infocomm’s Jio Fibre — which together control over two-thirds of the internet broadband market in Kolkata — said they were better prepared for the cyclone and confident there will be less disruption on the ground than a year ago. But they also warned that if lines were down in localities where the storm uprooted trees and lampposts, restoration could take two-nine days.
“We need to get the go-ahead from CESC and KMC to prevent electrocution and wait for installation of lampposts in places where they suffer damage. But in areas where there are no such complications, we should be able to restore connection in a couple of days,” an ICNCL official said.
Unlike last year when manpower and material were a problem when Amphan struck, since it was in the midst of a lockdown, this time the agencies are better prepared with adequate manpower and material stocked.
“We weren’t prepared for last year’s cyclone. Since then, we have re-organized OFC cables and bunched them together to ensure they have more strength,” said an Alliance Broadband associate.
The one concern that everyone has is the Covid situation, which is worse than a year ago. “Ensuring safety of our employees during restoration work will be a challenge,” said All Bengal Cable TV & Broadband Operations United Forum joint convenor Tapash Kumar Das.