Mobile Data Traffic Soars Amid Flood Crisis

[webfact]

Mobile data traffic soars amid flood crisis

Asina Pornwasin

The Nation

Traffic of mobile data usage increased rapidly during the flood crisis, especially in affected provinces.

Mobile networks proved to be a vital communication channel for people to reach each other, seek assistance and to single out emergency cases over voice and data network instantly. In addition, people used the mobile medium to connect with social networks for keeping in touch, sharing flood information and about their own situation.

All three private mobile operators revealed that during the flood crisis , traffic of mobile data usage rose sharply.

Advanced Info Service (AIS) vice president for value-added service, Pratthana Leelapanang, said that overall mobile traffic of both voice and data on the AIS network at the peak of the flood crisis in several provinces during the third week of October was 70 per cent higher than in the previous week. The increased mobile data traffic was in the flood-hit provinces of Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, and Lop Buri. Overall mobile traffic, including voice and data, increased by 2-3 per cent.

Pakorn Pannachet, senior vice president for Products Division at Total Access Communication (DTAC), also said that mobile traffic during the flood crisis went up, especially mobile data usage. The number of mobile data users in October increased by 12 per cent both pre-paid and post-paid customers from September.

"Many people turned to access the latest information updates via mobile phone. Most DTAC users stayed on the mobile data network to access Facebook during the floods in October," said Pakorn.

Meanwhile, Piroon Paireepairit, director for Non-voice and 3G business at TrueMove, said that the number of TrueMove 3G users on the TrueMove H network increased 200 per cent during the flood crisis in October. However, he was not sure whether the increase was because of the flood. However, he said the trend is that a lot more people are staying tuned on social media, Facebook and Twitter, for updates on the flood situation.

In October, mobile data usage over TrueMove and TruMove H network grew about 35 per cent compared to September.

Mobile network became a vital communication channel for flood victims, volunteers, and the authorities. The operators affirmed that they will keep their mobile networks active even if the flooding situation worsened.

They also provided help to flood victims with many different offers. For example, TrueMove, TrueMove H and Hutch extended the validity by up to 30 days beginning October 25 for pre-paid users, and immediately topped up Bt20 for each subscriber whose call credit had been used up or was less than Bt5.

For its post-paid subscribers in flooded areas, it extended the deadline for payment of monthly telephone bills until November 30. Also, TrueMove and TrueMove H customers can make free calls to the following emergency numbers such as Government Call Centre (1111 press 5), Emergency Medical Institute hotline (emergency medical assistance and free ambulance to hospitals) (1669), and the Royal Irrigation Department hotline (1460).

"Our subscribers can send free SMS asking for assistance to 4567892. TrueMove will then forward the information to the national flood relief centre," said Piroon.

He added that at present less than 20 cell sites of TrueMove were flooded and about 30 cell sites are unable to offer the service as electricity has been cut off. AIS said 80 of its 15,000 cell sites were out of service and most of them could not provide service as electricity has been cut off.

The operators believed that part of the increased mobile data usage is due to increased social network access. More people stayed tuned in to the social network as many groups of volunteers, the private sector and government authorities were on the social network during the flood crisis in October.

Research firm Frost & Sullivan said that was an indication of Thai social media strategy. Jake Wengroff, global director, Social Media Strategy & Research at Frost & Sullivan, said that some private organisations have created websites, Facebook pages, and Twitter handles to disseminate information, but it is admirable that the Thai government has quickly taken the lead to ensure that official news is given properly. In times of crisis, too many unedited voices - especially those on social media channels - can create and distribute conflicting, confusing, and possibly inaccurate information, which can do much damage. The Thai government wanted to ensure that this would not happen.

He added that social media has indeed become the main channel of communication during this national disaster.

The government was quick to set up an official website (http://www.floodthailand.net) and the Information and Communications Technology Ministry has set up @FloodThailand as an official Twitter account to deliver up-to-the-minute information for citizens.

However, social media channels and strategies set up for the Thai flood are almost all in the Thai language. This, of course, prevents the majority in the rest of the world who are interested in official reports from learning about the disaster, and who perhaps, can offer assistance. Other natural disasters have also relied heavily on social media to communicate the crisis - but the official news reports are translated or are in English - bringing international attention and delivering aid and assistance.

Because of this language barrier, aid may not arrive as quickly because non-Thai speaking people are not being informed minute-by-minute and English-language news via the social networks is not plentiful.

"Indeed, ’Thai flood’ is not listed in Top Stories on Google News and #thaiflood, #floodthailand or any combination thereof is not a trending topic on the homepage of Twitter," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-11-22

[RickBradford]

In times of crisis, too many unedited voices - especially those on social media channels - can create and distribute conflicting, confusing, and possibly inaccurate information, which can do much damage. The Thai government wanted to ensure that this would not happen.

My impression was that the "conflicting, confusing, and possibly inaccurate information" being put out by the various Thai government entities was the main factor driving people to use social networks to find out what the h*ll was going on.

This article is the silliest thing to be published since the order to evacuate Jatujak last week.

[LandOfSmileys]

data traffic soars

Is this a surprise? More people communicate during upset of normal routine? If you quietly walk into a large chicken coop with hundreds of chickens in it and observe the amount of Clacks and Kvacks being exchanged, then toss a firecracker into the middle, does the Clack Kvack data rate go up? DataCorps/telcoms are making a killing off of the floods, while offering "free" calls/sms to only emergency numbers, a micro-fraction of their data volume destinations.

[MaiChai]

Sounds like the Thais need to get their act together and roll out 3G?

[swerver]

Sounds like the Thais need to get their act together and roll out 3G?

You must be JOKING Thailand to rollout G-3

The Basket case of the world already OPERATES G-4.

In electronic communication Thailand is falling further behind with each passing day.

Logged on to this Forum , I go to the kitchen make myself a cup of coffee and when I get back to my computer – connected through ipStar – it is not on the modem yet, so sit and drink my coffee and slowly like Molasses it arrives through Csloxinfo. Before in the middle of the night I did have a chance, but that route now also is hopeless making connection with the Csloxinfo Server. LOL in LOS.

[bkk_mike]

I will admit to being part of the increase...

Moved out of Bangkok to Jomtien, but had no ADSL here initially so I was using 3G to connect to the office.

Now have ADSL from TOT set up here, but the 3G was way more reliable... I have literally called TOT to inform them that my ADSL was down (as in no ADSL sync at all, not simply slow speed) more often in the last fortnight than I've called True in Bangkok in 7 years.

P.S. Have had ADSL in the UK since 2000. I think I called them because I had no ADSL signal once...

[LandOfSmileys]

ADSLOS= Annoying Dead Signal Land of Smiles

I will admit to being part of the increase...

Moved out of Bangkok to Jomtien, but had no ADSL here initially so I was using 3G to connect to the office.

Now have ADSL from TOT set up here, but the 3G was way more reliable... I have literally called TOT to inform them that my ADSL was down (as in no ADSL sync at all, not simply slow speed) more often in the last fortnight than I've called True in Bangkok in 7 years.

P.S. Have had ADSL in the UK since 2000. I think I called them because I had no ADSL signal once...