When Typhoon Bualoi, the tenth storm hitting Vietnam this year, struck North-central Vietnam, causing severe damage in Thanh Hoa province, ensuring uninterrupted communications became a lifeline to direct the disaster response efforts.
    |
 |
|
Viettel Thanh Hoa’s staff check equipment in key vulnerable areas before the storm. |
Pro-active response to storm
Before the typhoon made landfall, Colonel Hoang Manh Hien, Director of Viettel Thanh Hoa, directly instructed all affiliated agencies and units to review plans and prepare response forces, logistics supplies and technical services. Dozens of response teams and mobile systems were on standby for critical areas.
|
|
 |
|
Heading to mountainous areas |
Thanks to this readiness, Viettel Thanh Hoa promptly secured communications for the headquarters of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee and online meetings between the authorities of Thanh Hoa province and other localities and units. Many equipment and base transmission stations (BTSs) in flood-prone zones were also relocated to ensure absolute safety.
“Ensuring smooth communications is an order. For us, it is like a battlefield where each cadre and each employee is a soldier,” said Colonel Hien.
Overcoming hardship to maintain network
In Thanh Hoa province, Typhoon Bualoi severely damaged Viettel’s network. Nearly 900 sites lost power, over 600 BTSs ran on generators, and many mountainous areas were isolated by floods and landslides. At peak time, 679 BTSs relied on backup power.
|
|
 |
|
A transmission tower in Hoang Giang commune, Thanh Hoa province broken after Typhoon Bualoi |
In these circumstances, the spirit of soldiers in each Viettel staff shore. Hundreds of Viettel Thanh Hoa’s employees remained at “hot spots,” regardless of danger. Business staff joined technical teams to carry generators, refuel, and support ‘comrades’ on long duty shifts. All worked with a common goal of keeping communications alive.
In Hoang Hoa cluster, where a tornado knocked down two transmission towers and 87 BTSs lost power simultaneously, Director of Viettel Thanh Hoa’s former Hoang Hoa district branch Nguyen Van Chung led over 30 staff from Viettel Hoang Hoa and other units to restore services for the administrative center and residential areas. “Customers may lose electricity for days, but they cannot lose contact with their loved ones. That is our social responsibility, an order from heart,” Chung said.
Spirit of soldiers in peacetime
“After the storm, nearly all customers in the province had telecom, internet, and TV services restored,” Viettel Thanh Hoa’s Director Hoang Manh Hien affirmed. This success came from not only technical solutions but also the resilience and sense of responsibility for the people of the whole Viettel Thanh Hoa.
|
|
 |
|
Viettel Thanh Hoa’s Director Hoang Manh Hien (second from left) directs the repair and recovery efforts. |
|
|
 |
|
Timely commendation for technical teams in emergency communications response |
Natural disasters are a harsh test of Viettel soldiers’ bravery. They not only operate a network, but also safeguard the “lifeline” of communications for the Party, the State, and the people. For Viettel Thanh Hoa, ensuring communications during storms is not just a business duty, but a sacred mission for the safety of their compatriots, and the stable operation of local authorities.
Translated by Mai Huong