Answer in the midst of a fierce storm
Early in the morning of November 6, when storm No. 13 approached the mainland, people in Son Hoa (Dak Lak) were busy fighting for their homes. Mr. Nguyen Tien Thanh - VNPT technical staff - and his teammates wade through flooded sections to reconnect the broken line. In the howling wind, the image of a man in a blue shirt weaving in the cold rain moved many people. Without the Internet, we cant communicate, we dont know what the outside news is, one resident said. Those words of thanks motivated the VNPT team to continue their journey amid the storm, despite still worrying about their family in their hometown.
In the early morning of November 7, VNPT Dak Lak rescue teams divided into many groups, quickly approaching the severely damaged area. Trees fell, a series of BTS stations lost power. Although the boats had not yet dried after the previous rain, they still carried their backpacks and brought meters to the road all night to fix the problem.
Each cable was connected overnight, each broadcasting station was lit up. VNPT Dak Lak also opened free battery charging points to help people maintain communication while the entire area was without power. For many consecutive days, the VNPT team has been on duty 24/7, determined: "Information must be smooth, whether during storms and floods or at night."
Racing against time
The Central - Central Highlands region is the focus of storms and floods, so as soon as there was a warning of "storm over flood", VNPT units proactively activated rescue plans. Thousands of generators, spare pillars, and technical materials were mobilized. Technical teams are "fighting" 24/7, at vulnerable points, ready to set off at any time the storm makes landfall.
At the same time, VNPT activated the satellite transmission system, mobile broadcasting vehicles, battlefield stations, 50 Inmarsat satellite phones and 32 VSAT-IP to ensure people can always communicate in emergency situations. The roaming mechanism interconnecting with other network operators is also opened, creating a "buffer" for safe connections.
However, the devastation caused by storm No. 13 far exceeded expectations: hundreds of BTS stations from Hue to Gia Lai were damaged, many fiber optic cables were broken due to landslides. Right after the storm, hundreds of VNPT engineers set off to "racce against time".
After only a few days, most of the telecommunications network in the Central - Central Highlands region has been almost completely restored. From Hue to Kon Tum, the "blue shirt people" continue to release, check and handle incidents to keep the signal stable. It is a quiet but fierce race, where every drop of sweat falling on it carries the belief that "a call for peace will resound again".
The power of connection from the heart
Not only restoring telecommunications infrastructure, VNPT people also spread the spirit of sharing in the days after the storm.
In Thua Thien - Hue, 100 "family medicine bags" sent by the VNPT Trade Union of Ho Chi Minh City via the Post Office General Hospital have reached the people in flooded areas. It is not only medicine, but a message of love from the South to the Central region, Mr. Tran Lam Thinh Chairman of VNPT Trade Union of Ho Chi Minh City shared.
The VNPT Ninh Binh working group also traveled hundreds of kilometers, crossed the landslide area, coordinated with VNPT Hue to restore fiber optic cables, reinforce station poles, and reinstall the transmission system. Despite muddy roads and heavy rain, they still persevere with the spirit of "no customers are left behind".
From the Dak Lak highland BTS station to the flooded streets in Hue, from cables connected at night to the bag of medicine to warm the hearts of compatriots - all painted a picture of the connecting power of VNPT people: resilience, responsibility and humanity. We not only keep the transmission line uninterrupted, but also keep humanity always connected, confided a VNPT technician.
