Internet and Phone Outages Due to Donghae Wildfire... Three Major Telecoms Launch Emergency Repairs

Relay station recovery in progress... Base station line detour
Wi-Fi at shelters... Emergency relief supplies provided
IPTV installation helps provide information to residents

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] Due to a large-scale wildfire that occurred in Donghae, Gangwon Province, internet and telephone outages occurred in some areas, prompting the three major telecommunications companies to switch to emergency work mode. They deployed mobile generators and mobile base station vehicles forward to support communication connections and rerouted base station lines. They also provided full support through Wi-Fi connections and emergency relief supplies for residents who were urgently evacuated.

According to the industry on the 6th, the three telecom companies are currently restoring some relay equipment of wireless base stations near Uljin that were destroyed by the Uljin-Samcheok wildfire. In addition, wildfires occurred in multiple locations including Ok-gye, Gangneung, and Yeongwol, and network staff are on standby for intensive monitoring and additional restoration.

SK Telecom has rerouted base station lines and is working to normalize communication services by dispatching power generation vehicles and mobile generators. Some equipment damaged by the fire is also being restored. Mobile base station vehicles have been deployed near the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant, a major facility.

Wi-Fi is being provided at major shelters, and SK Broadband has installed IPTV at shelters to provide information to disaster victims. Additionally, AS vehicles have been deployed to offer mobile phone charging services, and emergency supplies such as bottled water, blankets, and hot packs are being supported.

KT has deployed 248 KT employees, with 33 working in the situation room on emergency duty. A customer mobile base station vehicle has been set up at the evacuation center, the National Gymnasium. Five additional Wi-Fi units have also been installed. They supplied 361 relief kits. Additional supplies including 1,000 sets of toothbrushes and toothpaste, 1,000 bottles of water, meal trucks, breakfast, and smartphone charging facilities are also being provided.

LG Uplus has ordered emergency duty for network staff in Gyeongbuk and Gangwon and has started emergency operations. About 30 personnel have been deployed to the Magok situation room in Seoul for real-time monitoring, and network staff from regions other than Gyeongbuk and Gangwon are also on standby. Mobile base stations are prepared to be immediately deployed if necessary to support smooth communication services.

The large-scale wildfire that started on the 4th in Uljin, Gyeongbuk, and spread to Samcheok and Donghae in Gangwon Province caused significant damage as it expanded to Samcheok. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), 330 facilities were destroyed by the Uljin-Samcheok wildfire as of 10 p.m. on the 5th. Separately, a wildfire also occurred on the 5th in Ok-gye-myeon, Gangneung.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.