MTC, Operators Agree to Create Emergency Network
Peruvian telecoms operators and the transport and communications ministry (MTC) agreed on Friday to create a special emergency network to guarantee telephony communications in the case of a future natural disaster such as the earthquake that occurred on Wednesday, MTC said in a statement.
The network would run between the presidential office, the police department, health institutions and the fire department.
According to Liliana Ruiz, consultant with Alterna Perú, Peru also needs a better radio network to ensure communication when other methods fail and that financing ought to be taken from the universal services fund.
"I believe the country should have an emergency radio network that could be very useful in these situations. I think this is a priority," Ruiz told BNamericas.
Peru's President Alan García also asked on Friday the transport and communications ministry MTC to carry out a full investigation into why the country's telecoms network collapsed in the wake of the earthquake, according local and international press reports.
On Thursday, MTC summoned all mobile and fixed telephony companies to give the technical reasons that led to the problems. The ministry is reportedly investigating any possible negligence on the part of operators.
Operators said on Friday all fixed, long-distance, public and rural networks were back up and running, while mobile service was still being reestablished but was due to be back to normal by the end of Friday, MTC's statement said.
MTC also said it is not yet possible to put a figure on the cost of the damage to telecoms infrastructure but it was unacceptable communications networks were not better designed to withstand seismic activity in a country like Peru.
Telefónica del Perú and Telmex suffered damage to fiber optic networks, according to MTC.
Posted to the site on 20th August 2007
