1/18: Restoration of Mobile Phone Communication – Various Measures Taken by Companies to Resolve Communication Disruptions

January 18, 2024, NHK News
Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/kanazawa/20240118/3020018272.html
携帯電話の通信復旧へ　通信障害解消に向け各社さまざまな対応
English Translation by Walter Tsushima

Restoration of Mobile Phone Communication – Various Measures Taken by Companies to Resolve Communication Disruptions

In Toyo Middle School, where approximately 130 people have taken refuge in Machino district of Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, mobile phones were unable to connect for nearly a week after the earthquake on January 1st. Consequently, people formed a queue of around 20 people daily at the only public phone near the evacuation center to inform relatives about their safety.

A man in his 50s, among those taking refuge, shared, “We were in a situation where communication was impossible, and many people rushed to the only working public phone.”

Moreover, due to power outages preventing them from watching TV, and relying solely on radio for information, a man in his 20s said, “Normally, I would check the news on my smartphone, but after the earthquake, not much information was coming through, and it was frightening. Besides the poor hygiene conditions due to water and power shortages, we didn’t even have information about where the toilets were. It was genuinely challenging.”

It was only six days after the earthquake that the communication environment finally recovered. The man mentioned that he was able to check messages on social media expressing concern about the safety of friends, saying, “I was genuinely happy to receive a message from a friend. It became a motivation for me to somehow overcome the challenging life in the evacuation center.”

In the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture, which suffered significant damage from the earthquake, some areas still experience mobile phone unavailability. To address the communication disruption, various companies are continuing their efforts.

In Machino district of Wajima City, KDDI has installed antennas for the satellite communication service “Starlink” to act as substitutes for base stations. These antennas, being small and lightweight, can quickly establish Wi-Fi environments and enable high-speed satellite communication. One antenna can connect around 120 devices simultaneously, including mobile phones and computers.

In this region, SoftBank has also deployed mobile base stations with built-in base station functions on vehicles. Due to ongoing power outages, vehicles equipped with large generators are connected daily to prevent interruptions in signals.

Mobile companies are also implementing emergency measures through various means, such as anchoring ships equipped with base station facilities called “ship-based base stations” offshore and flying drones with base station functions to secure communication.

However, many areas remain inaccessible due to landslides and other factors, indicating that full recovery across the entire prefecture will take more time.

Yuto Mizukami from SoftBank’s Area Construction Headquarters stated, “We are aware that mobile phones are a lifeline, and we want to do everything possible for an early restoration.”