Floods: Mobile phone shut down? | Bangkok Post: learning

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Mobile service was lost when power was cut at industrial estates in Ayutthaya. In Bangkok extra oil & high-rise switching centers will prevent this from happening.

In photo above, a Thai worker talks on a mobile phone at a factory during flood in Ayutthaya province on October 17, 2011 (AFP PHOTO  Pornchai KITTIWONGSAKUL)

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Mobile backup plans put in place by Suchit Leesa-nguansuk

Mobile operators say they can provide wireless service for up to seven days in the worst-case scenario involving power cuts.

Advanced Info Service, the country's largest operator, has reserved oil for power generation and electricity generators to support mobile switching operations. 

"In case electricity were cut off, our wireless service would be available for up to four days through the use of our 2,000 litres of oil reserves," said chief executive Wichian Mektrakarn. 

He said AIS was not worried about the depth of flood waters since all of its switching bases in Bangkok were housed on high-rise buildings. 

Power cuts are of the utmost concern since switching stations needed electricity.

Mr Wichian acknowledged AIS was worried about network capacity in Rangsit and Chaeng Watthana as they are critical flood risk areas.

In cases of severe network congestion, such as in heavily inundated Bang Bua Thong, he said AIS would allocate data network bandwidth to support voice communications.

AIS has 67 base stations out of action in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani, mostly in flooded industrial estates where power had to be cut.

Mr Wichian said that AIS planned to relocate all network switching locations from disaster-risk areas to prevent future problems.

Chaiyod Chirabowornkul, chief customer officer of DTAC, said 60 of its base stations were affected by power cuts.

The company has prepared power generators and oil supplies to fuel generators.

Supakit Vuntanadit, chief operating office of True Move, said it had built a 2.5-metre temporary wall for floodwater protection for its switching sites. 

It has generators and oil for temporary operations for up to seven days.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Mobile backup plans put in place, 22/10/2011, Suchit Leesa-nguansuk, link) 

Mobile Phone Service in Emergencies Vocabulary

power - electricity produced in large quantities and used to operate lights, machines, and heating
power cuts - when the electricity supply that people are using suddenly stops (times when there is no electricity)

provide - to give someone something that they want or need
provide wireless service - give mobile users the connections they need to call family, friends and customers 

worst case - the "most" bad situation that can happen เลวร้ายที่สุด   
scenario - a possible situation in the future; the way a situation could develop in the future
worst-case scenario - the worst possible situation (if everything fails) การสมมติสภาพที่เลวร้ายที่สุด

backup - a system that can be used if the first system fails (example: The airline reservation computer system had a backup computer system located in another place that it could use during power failures).

backup plans - plans that can be used if the first original plans fail and cannot be used

put in place - set up, created already and ready to use  
mobile backup plans put in place - plans for the situation if the mobile phone system normally used fails are ready now

mobile operators - companies that offer mobile phone service (for example: AIS, DTAC, Orange)

wireless - communication without wires, sending messages over a distance with radio signals ไร้สาย (การติดต่อสื่อสารผ่านวิทยุ คลื่นวิทยุ ไร้สาย)

concern - a worry ความกังวล
of the utmost concern - the greatest worry or concern that they have
power cuts are of the utmost concern - they worry most about power cuts

reserved oil for power generation -
electricity generators to support mobile switching operations 

reserves - supply for future use when needed สิ่งที่สำรองไว้
oil reserves - a supply of oil for future use (if there are shortages and they cannot buy)
2,000 litres of oil reserves

depth - the distance down either from the top of something to the bottom, or to a distance below the top surface of something ความลึก
the depth of flood waters

high-rise buildings - very tall buildings with many floors, skyscrapers 
all of its switching bases in Bangkok were housed on high-rise buildings. 

network - a large system of connected parts, organisations, people, etc. เครือข่าย
computer network - a set of connected computers (like the internet)

capacity - the largest amount that can be produced with current resources (factory, equipment, machines, facilities) ความสามารถในการทำงาน
network capacity - computer network capacity, the largest amount of people using the internet in different ways that can be supported by the network

critical - very important because a future situation will be affected by it สำคัญยิ่ง
critical flood risk areas - the places where there is great risk of bad floods (with deep water)
risk - a danger, how likely or possible it is for a bad event that causes harm and damage ความเสี่ยง เสี่ยงอันตราย

congestion - crowded, too many things or people in a small area or using a limited resource such as mobile phone service in an area แน่นขนัดไปด้วย
severe - very serious and worrying ที่รุนแรง ที่น่าเป็นห่วง
severe network congestion - too many people using a limited amount of network available (so very slow for data or dropped calls)

inundated - flooded ถูกน้ำท่วม, จมลงใต้น้ำ
heavily inundated Bang Bua Thong - there was heavy flooding in Bang Bua Thong

allocate - divide up something and give it to people; share among many people แบ่งส่วน, จัดแบ่ง

data - facts or information ข้อมูล
data network - a mobile phone network that data and information passes over like the internet (different from the usual voice network of mobile phones)

bandwidth - the capacity for a given system to transfer data, the data transmission rate; the maximum amount of information (bits/second) that can be transmitted along a channel
data network bandwidth - the ability of the mobile phone data network to handle many users 

voice communications - talking to other with a telephone (or with Skype or other voice chat over internet)
allocate data network bandwidth to support voice communications

base stations - the radio transmitter and receiver that connects mobile telephones in an area with a company's wireless network, most countries require several hundred base stations to give full coverage for mobile phone customers

out of action - not working, not operational (cannot it's job anymore)
67 base stations out of action -

relocate - move to another location ย้ายไปตั้งอีกที่หนึ่ง

disaster - something very bad that happens and causes a lot of damage ความหายนะ ภัยพิบัติ
disaster-risk
disaster-risk areas

relocate all network switching locations from disaster-risk areas -

generate power - making electricity
power generation - the activity of making electricity
power generators - machines for making electricity
oil supplies to fuel generators

temporary - done or used for only a limited period of time, i.e., not permanent ชั่วคราว

2.5-metre temporary wall for floodwater protection

generators and oil for temporary operations for up to seven days.

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