PTA asks telcos to maintain connectivity, support relief operations

As flash floods and landslides continue to disrupt life across various regions of Pakistan during the ongoing monsoon season, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued an emergency advisory to telecom operators, emphasizing the need to maintain seamless mobile and internet services in disaster-affected areas.

To coordinate national-level response efforts, the PTA has established the National Emergency Telecommunication Coordination Centre (NETCC).

The center is tasked with overseeing service continuity, supporting emergency communications, and monitoring operations across flood-hit zones.

Telecom operators have been instructed to immediately activate their contingency plans. The directive requires companies to secure infrastructure in vulnerable areas and ensure uninterrupted connectivity, particularly for rescue and relief operations.

The advisory mandates that any major technical disruptions be reported to the PTA headquarters without delay, with updates on service restoration submitted every six hours for real-time progress tracking.

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To assist the public during the crisis, mobile companies have also been asked to disseminate important information — including flood alerts, evacuation instructions, and emergency contact numbers — in both national and regional languages.

The PTA emphasized the importance of sustained public awareness during this critical period.

Operators have also been urged to prioritize communication support for emergency services and deploy mobile units in areas where standard infrastructure has been compromised.

Local loop operators have been directed to keep their franchises operational in affected areas, respond promptly to customer complaints, and ensure essential services — such as SIM issuance and mobile balance top-ups — remain available without interruption.