PTA has established a National Emergency Telecommunication Coordination Centre (NETCC) to strengthen the telecom sector’s disaster response capabilities in light of ongoing and anticipated flood situations across the country. The centre is tasked with overseeing the continuity of voice and data services and coordinating rapid interventions with telecom operators during emergency events. This move comes as part of PTA’s broader strategy to maintain network integrity and ensure public access to communication channels during natural disasters.
In a formal advisory, PTA directed all telecom operators, including those operating in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, to activate their contingency protocols immediately. These plans are expected to guarantee uninterrupted mobile and broadband connectivity in high-risk zones and areas already impacted by heavy rains and flooding. With communication networks playing a central role in emergency response and public safety, the authority emphasized that operators must stay fully equipped to manage high-traffic demands, system resilience, and information dissemination.
Telecom providers have been specifically instructed to safeguard physical infrastructure in accordance with CTDISR standards. Critical measures include securing towers, exchanges, and data facilities located in flood-prone areas, as well as maintaining sufficient fuel reserves and spare parts for emergency operations. Field teams must be mobilized and equipped with the necessary tools to continue operations safely. In the event of major service disruptions, operators are required to notify NETCC and PTA zonal offices immediately, with restoration status updates provided every six hours.
The advisory outlines comprehensive responsibilities for telecom operators during emergencies, including the transmission of flood warnings, evacuation messages, and emergency contact numbers in both national and regional languages using SMS and voice channels. To enhance targeted communications, operators are expected to enable Location-Based Services (LBS) that can deliver real-time alerts to users in specific geographic areas. In the case of severely damaged infrastructure, providers must deploy temporary solutions such as Cells on Wheels (COWs) or satellite-based units like VSATs to reestablish coverage and connectivity.
Restoring core connectivity by prioritizing central hub sites has been marked as a key operational objective. PTA also instructed operators to ensure that basic consumer needs such as SIM issuance, mobile recharge options, and access to scratch cards are met in affected regions. Collaborating with local authorities to keep franchises and retail outlets functional is now a requirement. Additionally, customer support must be managed by trained teams capable of handling queries and service issues under emergency conditions.
The advisory has been distributed to all relevant stakeholders, including telecom licensees, National and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities, provincial Chief Secretaries, AJK and GB administrations, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of IT and Telecom, armed forces’ operational wings, police inspector generals, and senior PTA officials. This coordinated approach aims to reinforce disaster preparedness and strengthen the telecom sector’s role in national emergency response.
