Mobile phone network collapse?

Complete mobile phone network collapse is unlikely, but short local electricity outages might happen when floods hit.

Photo on right is of a GSM base station, common in Thailand (Source: Wikipedia).

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Mobile firms stay confident, Standby power being beefed up by Komsan Tortermvasana Suchit Leesa-Nguansuk

Major mobile operators yesterday introduced business continuity plans aimed at dealing with an anticipated mobile network collapse.

Operators have expressed confidence in their mobile communications networks and cellular signals, noting a possible shutdown of networks was unlikely. 

However, mobile systems could encounter trouble if mobile switching centres lost power, while 3G wireless application systems and data supporting systems are a concern as most of the network is located in Bangkok. 

Mobile leader Advanced Info Service said its transmission coverage accounted for nearly 40% of its nationwide network capacity. Each transmission centre is located separately and independently. 

Wichian Mektrakarn, the chief executive officer of AIS, said the company had put 100 staff including engineers, technicians and maintenance workers on 24-hour standby mode to deal with a possible network crisis.

"We're confident our mobile service will not be disrupted," he said. 

Mr Wichian noted Nonthaburi's Bang Bua Thong district as an example. The heavily flooded area still has service.

For areas without electricity, AIS's base stations have standby power generators and batteries.

He admitted the mobile network would collapse if mobile switching centres were damaged, but noted this was unlikely to occur.

Jon Eddy Abdullah, chief executive officer of Total Access Communication (DTAC), said the company had already initiated its contingency plan and prepared network capacity to support a possible network crisis.

He agreed a network collapse was unlikely, but acknowledged some areas with 20-30 base stations might face an electricity outage for a short period if hit by the floods.

DTAC has 10,500 base stations nationwide.

True Corporation vice-chairman Athueck Asvanont said it had technical and network maintenance staff along with power generators on 24-hour standby.

He said the mobile network equipment in Bangkok was mainly located on building rooftops, different from those in the provinces. Operators need to closely monitor their mobile system centres to prevent a network collapse, he added.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Mobile firms stay confident, Standby power being beefed up, 29/10/2011, Komsan Tortermvasana Suchit Leesa-Nguansuk, link) 

Mobile Phone Network Collapse Vocabulary

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

network - a large system of connected parts, organisations, people, etc. เครือข่าย
mobile phone network - all the technology and electronic devices spread throughout the country that allow you to make a phone call with your mobile phone ("base stations" discussed in article, are an important part)

collapse - (of people and business) to fail suddenly; to suddenly be unable to continue or work correctly ล้ม (ธุรกิจ)
mobile phone network collapse - when the mobile phone network fails and cannot be used anymore (here: people cannot make phone calls)

anticipated - 1. think about an event before it happens; 2. believe it might happen คาดว่าจะเกิดขึ้น
anticipated mobile network collapse - a possible network collapse that people have thought about before it could happen (thus possibly preventing it)

continuity - something continues to happen or exist (without interruptions or changes)
business continuity plans  - emergency plans (plans for what to do if something big goes wrong, like a "network collapse")

confident - being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future มั่นใจ
stay confident - continue to be certain and sure about the future

standby - an extra system waiting to be used, if necessary (example: the standby power system in the building provided enough electricity for the elevator and emergency lights in the building)
beef up - make stronger

power - energy in the form of electricity produced in large quantities and used to operate lights, machines, and heating
standby power - an extra system that will provide electriticy during a power cut or brown out

standby power being beefed up - making stronger the supply of extra electricity for emergencies  

switch - a devide that directs the phone in the right direction along the network
mobile switching centres - a building with a lot of computers directing phone calls in the right direction (See Wikipedia)

base station - the mobile phone company equipment that communicates with a person's mobile phone, "a wireless telephone base station communicates with a mobile or hand-held phone. For example, in a wireless telephone system, the signals from one or more mobile telephones in an area are received at a nearby base station, which then connects the call to the land-line network. Other equipment is involved depending on the system architecture. Mobile telephone provider networks, such as European GSM networks, may involve carrier, microwave radio, and switching facilities to connect the call" (See Wikipedia)

standby power generators - power generators ready to be used if needed, 24 hours everyday
base stations have standby power generators

on 24-hour standby - ready for action 24 hours everyday

technical - requiring special detailed knowledge (example: computers, electronics, manufacturing); - involving materials, processes, and machines to do specialised work เฉพาะทาง
maintenance - work that is done to keep something such as a building, machine, or piece of equipment repaired and in good condition การซ่อมบำรุง
maintenance workers - workers that keep the equipment in good condition, repair the equipment
staff - people who work for a company or organisation พนักงาน
network maintenance staff - workers to repair the network and keep it operating

it had technical and network maintenance staff along with power generators on 24-hour standby.

X aimed at Y - action X has the goal of dealing with Y (achieving goal Y, solving problem Y, etc)  

cellular signals - the mobile phone radio waves that pass through the air (between phone and base station and between base stations and transmission stations)

confidence -  being certain; feeling sure about something; trusting and believing in something ความมั่นใจ ความเชื่อมั่น
express confidence - tell people about how confident and sure about things you are 
expressed confidence in their mobile communications networks and cellular signals

shutdown - stopping the operation of something (factory, machine, etc)
shutdown of networks - stopping the network (so people cannot make phone calls anymore)

a possible shutdown of networks was unlikely

encounter - to meet; to experience or deal with something, especially a problem เผชิญกับ (ปัญหา)
encounter trouble - get in a difficult situation (with a problem you have to solve)

lost power - electricity stopped (brown out, power cut)
mobile systems could encounter trouble if mobile switching centres lost power

wireless - communication without wires, by radio signal or mobile phone (for example, most modems in houses nowadays are wireless) ไร้สาย (การติดต่อสื่อสารผ่านวิทยุ คลื่นวิทยุ ไร้สาย)
3G wireless

data - facts or information used for making calculations or decisions ข้อมูล
concern - a worry ความกังวล

transmission - the process of sending out electronic signals such as television or radio signals การส่งสัญญาณ แพร่ภาพ กระจายเสียง
transmission coverage - the area that can receive a mobile phone signal (the area "covered" by the mobile phone signal)
transmission center - a place that sends on mobile phone radio signals (to the next center, and so on, until the signal and phone call reach their destination)

independently - not connected to the others (so if the others fail, this will not cause it to fail too)
each transmission centre is located separately and independently

capacity - 1. the ability to do something ความสามารถในการทำงาน 2. the maximum number of phone or internet connections or users that the system can handle
nationwide - throughout a whole country ทั่วทั้งประเทศ  including the whole country ทั่วประเทศ

network capacity - the greatest amount of mobile phone calls (or internet data usage) that the mobile phone network can handle
nationwide network capacity - the greatest number of phone calls that can be handled and sent by the mobile phone network

crisis - an urgent, difficult or dangerous situation วิกฤต วิกฤตการณ์
network crisis - when the mobile phone network is in a dangerous situation (and may collapse)

the company had put 100 staff including engineers, technicians and maintenance workers on 24-hour standby mode to deal with a possible network crisis.

disrupted - interrupted and prevented from continuing smoothly by creating problems ขัดขวาง
confident our mobile service will not be disrupted

contingency - some event that may happen in the future, a possibility (See glossary)
contingency plan - a crisis plan, a plan to follow if unexpected and bad events happen (not system operation as usual) (See Wikipedia)

initiated - started ริเริ่มโดย
initiated its contingency plan - started it contingency (during a crisis, when needed)

support - help สนับสนุน

electricity outage - power cut, brown out (a period of time when there is no electricity in an area)
acknowledged some areas with 20-30 base stations might face an electricity outage for a short period if hit by the floods.

mobile network equipment

building rooftops

monitor - to regularly check something for problems or watch someone in order to find out what is happening ตรวจสอบ ตรวจตรา เฝ้าจับตาดู keep track of ตรวจ, ติดตาม, เฝ้าสังเกต