Cyclone Winston Victims
Fijian woman Kalisi holds her son Tuvosa, 3, as she sits on a bed in the remnants of her home damaged by Cyclone Winston in the Rakiraki District of Fiji's Ra province, in this February 24, 2016 handout picture provided by UNICEF. Reuters/UNICEF-Sokhin/Handout

A massive, category 5 tropical cyclone hit the island of Fiji on Feb 20, claiming at least 49 lives, destroying thousands of homes and breaking down communication lines. Cyclone Winston, which hit the outermost part of the Pacific Islands on Saturday, was the strongest storm ever to hit the Southern Hemisphere, with winds blowing over 320 km/h or 200 mph and waves reaching 12m high.

The morning after the massive cyclone hit, Fiji woke up to a devastating reality where giant trees were uprooted, roofs ripped off from houses and displaced thousands of residents who salvaged belongings while headed to evacuation shelters, reported the CNN.

Telecom operators in the country, including Vodafone, Optus and Digicel, saw the urgency of bringing back communication lines to affected people, even giving away free talk time to connect with loved ones.

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said that Cyclone Winston was unlike any storm he experienced. It left Fijians without water, food, houses and other basic services.

Rescue mission began by closing down schools and using the buildings as evacuation shelters, rescue workers assessed the damage brought about by the cyclone. According to BBC , rescue workers warned of rising death tolls as some of the hard-hit areas are still to be reached. Communication lines were severely damaged, impairing necessary rescue operations. Widespread power outages also contributed to the challenges faced by rescuers in providing relief and rescue operations.

A state of emergency has been declared by the government following the incident, and the government also called on private companies to aid in the rescue and transport of relief.

Communication is Key

Vodafone, which also pioneered the commercial rollout of network extender by 5BARz International , was quick to respond when it provided communication assistance to the NDMO’s office in their rescue and relief efforts. The company also announced provisions of free talk time credits, amounting to a total of $3.5 million (AUD$4.8 million) to its 700,000 customers, reported The Fiji Times . According to Vodafone Fiji CEO Pradeep Lal, $5 (AUD$6.85) free talk time was credited to customers’ mobile phones to support communication among distressed residents. Furthermore, operations to restore communication lines have begun so that Vodafone can continue their services within the island.

Another mobile network that has credited $5 free talk time to their customers is Digicel Fiji. According to CEO Darren McLean, Digicel Fiji shows its support by giving away free talk time to their customers so they can reconnect with their loved ones.

Meanwhile Optus, within the next two weeks , is also giving away free talk time to prepaid and postpaid mobile and landline consumers. According to reports, Optus customers will receive free voice calls from Feb 24 until 11:59 pm of March 10, 2016. The company warned that the powerful cyclone hit communication lines hard and caused damage. Customers may experience certain glitches when making phone calls such as busy tones, calls forwarded to voice mails and recorded voice announcements.

In times of disasters and natural calamities, communication plays a vital role in delivering basic support and services to people in the affected area. Telcos are responding to the urgency of bringing back communication lines to its affected subscribers such in Fiji.

RELATED STORIES