Ready at all times
Hurricanes and torrential rainstorms are becoming more and more common as climate change progresses. In addition to flooding cellars and uprooting trees, such weather events also damage Deutsche Telekom’s infrastructure. They can force water into underground cables and sever above-ground lines. If phone and internet services are crippled, a Deutsche Telekom team of experts meets within 15 minutes and takes immediate measures. With mobile cell towers, and specially equipped trucks, we can quickly set up temporary mobile networks. We can even replace entire exchanges within 48 hours.
Especially in an emergency situation, communication is vital for everyone who is affected – to organize aid, to network, and to contact friends and family. During the catastrophic flooding in 2021, our staff excelled themselves, taking some 13,000 power banks, emergency cell phones complete with SIM cards, quick-start internet packages, routers, and other technical devices to people in the flood areas. After a week, the mobile network was completely back to normal again.
By the end of 2021, some 97 percent of fixed-network connections were once again fully functional. While all this was happening, we also pressed ahead with the expansion of our fiber-optic network. Our technicians set up interim solutions to connect people to the network while rebuilding work was being completed.
Our national companies, too, are always ready to respond to critical situations. In the United States, for example, T-Mobile US takes preventive measures to ensure that networks stay up and running during the hurricane season. Such measures include regular crisis drills, upgrades of mobile network stations, and provision of information to help people prepare for forecast storms. Emergency teams are on standby 24/7 to ensure a fast and flexible response to any interruptions in service. In addition, T-Mobile US supports people in affected regions with key emergency equipment, as necessary. In 2022, after hurricane Ian, aid teams provided residents in Florida with chargers, among other things, plus unlimited data and free calls and texts.