From lowlands to highlands, technicians and telecom staff braved dangers, overcoming landslides and floods to reach damaged sites. Their urgency and determination played a vital role in supporting rescue and relief operations and ensuring people’s communication needs.

The floods in early August caused severe damage to the province’s telecommunications system. Rising waters swept away hundreds of concrete poles, destroyed dozens of kilometers of fiber optic cables, and left many mobile stations out of service. Faced with this situation, staff and technicians of Điện Biên Telecom promptly took action, risking their safety to restore infrastructure and ensure timely communication for authorities and residents in affected areas.

According to the Điện Biên Telecom, the floods damaged 57 km of fiber optic cables, swept away 320 concrete poles and 18km of fiber optic cables, caused outages at 11 mobile stations, and damaged 176 customer ONT devices. The estimated total loss was around VND 3.5 billion. To repair the damage, Điện Biên Telecom mobilized 38 staff and technicians with nine transport vehicles to repair at key sites. Despite adverse weather, workers remained at the scene, fixing cable breaks and reinstalling swept-away poles.

Tường Duy Quang from the Telecom Center 2 under the Điện Biên Telecom, who directly participated in the restoration, shared the hardships and dangers: “The roads to isolated areas were extremely difficult, with landslides and deep flooding. Some days we had to wade through mud carrying tools and equipment. The most dangerous was crossing fast-flowing streams, but knowing the importance of restoring communication for residents and rescue coordination, we pushed through the difficulties to complete the task as soon as possible.”

As soon as information about the severe damage was received, the Điện Biên Telecom’s leadership activated its emergency response plan, dividing teams into small groups equipped with necessary tools and supplies, ready to move into hard-hit areas. Technicians were supported with transport vehicles, backup generators, and replacement equipment. Thanks to clear leadership direction and the commitment of staff, all mobile stations and damaged cables were quickly restored.

Nguyễn Anh Tuấn, Director of the Information Operations Center under the Điện Biên Telecom, reported: “Thanks to close leadership and staff determination, by August 2 we had reached isolated sites and restored communications to 4 out of 11 affected mobile stations. The next day, another three were restored. By August 4, all 11 mobile stations were back in service. Fixed internet service was also restored for 176 customers in Na Son, Tìa Dình, Phình Giàng, and Mường Luân communes.”

Assessing the restoration efforts, Lê Anh Tuấn, Deputy Director of the Điện Biên Telecom, affirmed: “The floods caused heavy damage to the province’s telecom infrastructure. However, with the ‘four-on-the-spot’ principle and maximum mobilization of manpower and equipment, we restored the entire system. We also received timely support from police forces in transporting equipment and supplies. With comprehensive measures, the telecom and internet infrastructure was quickly restored, ensuring communications for rescue operations and helping residents stabilize their lives.”

The floods also severely affected the Viettel Điện Biên’s infrastructure in Mường Luân, Na Son, Pu Nhi, Tìa Dình, and Xa Dung communes. Specifically, 29 sites lost power, 16 experienced service interruptions, and 11 transmission lines along with one backbone cable and BRCĐ branch cable were damaged. In response, Viettel Điện Biên’s Infrastructure Branch quickly deployed emergency plans and accessed problem sites. Within just 48 hours, all service interruptions were repaired, stabilizing the company’s operations while ensuring absolute safety for staff, equipment, and facilities.

Nguyễn Hoàng Trung, Director of the Viettel Điện Biên Infrastructure Branch, stated: “Immediately after the incident, we activated our 2025 disaster prevention plan with a proactive approach from cluster to team levels. Fuel, spare parts, backup equipment, and emergency transport were prepared in advance. A field NOC (network operations center) was established at the unit to directly manage operations, while a forward command team and telecom rescue team, around 60 technicians, were dispatched to affected communes. In particular, 14 satellite phones and 2 radio systems were set up at key sites to maintain command and control communications. Technicians quickly accessed power-outage and isolated stations, focusing efforts to restore network infrastructure within 72 hours. This helped maintain service quality and uphold Viettel’s image and brand even under severe disaster conditions.”

Though the floods have passed, the image of telecom workers trudging through mud, climbing slopes, working in the rain to repair cables, reinstall poles, or restart generators remains deeply moving to local people. Their dedication ensured uninterrupted communications, allowing disaster-hit residents to contact their families, receive directives, and obtain timely support, helping them quickly stabilize their lives after the disaster.