Cyclone Fani: Telecom department reviews network services of telcos

The telecom department on Friday reviewed services provided by four operators - Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio and state-owned BSNL - in areas affected by cyclone Fani, according to official sources.

While services in Andhra Pradesh is expected to be fully functional by Saturday morning, the restoration work has already started in Puri and Bhubaneswar (in Odisha), which suffered extensive network damage.

The sources also said that the facility for free SMS has already been activated, and free interconnect between Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has been facilitated to ensure calls can be made on whichever network is available.

Among other measures, helpline number 1938 has been activated and the entire situation is being closely monitored, they added.

Earlier in the day, India's largest telecom operator Vodafone Idea had said it has initiated contingency measures, including activating emergency helpline number and free SMS, for its customers in Odisha, which is facing a severe cyclonic storm.

Cyclonic storm 'Fani' slammed into the Odisha coast on Friday morning, packing heavy rain and winds with speeds of up to 175 kmph.

(This article has not been edited by Zeebiz editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)