TELECOM
INFRASTRUCTURE: ECONOMY
NEWS:
On building resilient telecom infrastructure
WHAT’S
IN THE NEWS?
The Coalition for Disaster
Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) released a report evaluating the disaster
preparedness of India's telecom networks, emphasizing the need for enhanced
resilience through better power infrastructure, fortified telecom towers, and
improved planning and policy integration.
Telecom
Network Vulnerabilities: In-Depth Analysis
- Infrastructure at
Risk: The exposed nature of telecom infrastructure like cables and towers
makes them highly susceptible to physical damage during natural disasters
such as cyclones, earthquakes, and heavy rainfalls.
- Power Dependency and
Challenges: Telecom services heavily depend on power supplies, which are
often the first to be disrupted during disasters. This disruption impacts
communication when it's most needed, highlighting a critical vulnerability
in disaster response capabilities.
Strategies
for Enhanced Resilience: Detailed Strategies
- Robust Power
Solutions: Enhancing power infrastructure includes not just strengthening
the physical power lines but also incorporating more reliable backup power
sources such as generators and renewable energy solutions to ensure
continuity of telecom services.
- Fortification of
Telecom Towers: Strengthening telecom towers involves not only engineering
them to withstand higher wind speeds but also considering their placement
and the materials used to reduce the risk of collapse or significant
damage.
- Integrated
Infrastructure Development Explained (Dig-Once Policy): This policy
proposes that when any new infrastructure work is undertaken, it should
concurrently accommodate other utilities. This approach minimizes future
ground work, reducing potential damage to existing infrastructure and
speeding up recovery and maintenance efforts.
- Advanced Planning
with Disaster Risk Modelling: This involves using data and predictive
models to understand potential disaster impacts specific to regions. By
incorporating these models, planners can design infrastructure that is
better suited to handle the predicted scenarios, reducing future risk and
enhancing response strategies.
CDRI's
Expanded Role and Approach
- Global Collaboration
for Resilience: CDRI serves as a platform for countries, organizations,
and private sector entities to collaborate on improving infrastructure
resilience against disasters. It facilitates the sharing of knowledge,
policies, and technologies among its members.
- Knowledge Sharing
and Best Practices: As a knowledge center, CDRI compiles and disseminates
information on successful strategies and innovations in disaster-resilient
infrastructure from around the world, allowing member countries to
implement proven methods within their own contexts.
- Focus on Existing
Infrastructure: Contrary to developing new projects, CDRI's primary focus
is to retrofit and enhance the resilience of existing infrastructure,
ensuring they can withstand various climate-induced and other natural
disasters.
Importance
of Financial Preparedness: Comprehensive Coverage
- Parametric Insurance
as a Solution: The report underscores the significance of parametric
insurance, which provides predetermined financial payouts based on the
intensity of the disaster event, rather than the cost of damages incurred.
This type of insurance ensures quick liquidity for recovery efforts and
incentivizes infrastructure operators to resume services swiftly,
minimizing downtime and economic impact.
These elaborations offer a more thorough understanding of the CDRI's
initiatives and the critical need for enhanced resilience in telecom
infrastructure as highlighted in their recent report.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/on-building-resilient-telecom-infrastructure-explained/article69239901.ece