en.Wedoany.com Reported - Relying on its integrated air-ground emergency communication system, China Mobile has restored communication lines during the continuous heavy rainfall since the onset of the flood season, providing communication support for flood control and disaster relief.
Extreme disasters often lead to a "triple cut-off" of network, power, and roads, rendering traditional communication methods ineffective. China Mobile has built an air-ground integrated equipment matrix, including large base station vehicles, small satellite vehicles, high-altitude base stations, super base stations, and portable equipment, implementing targeted measures to bridge the "last meter" of disaster relief communication.
Since July 4, affected by Typhoon Maysak (No. 10 this year) combined with persistent heavy rainfall, floods have erupted in many areas of Guangxi. Seawater intrusion occurred in coastal areas, causing widespread power line failures and batch outages of base stations in coastal villages and towns; inland areas such as Hengzhou and Binyang recorded cumulative rainfall exceeding 110 mm, leading to reservoir overtopping and fiber optic cable breaks, turning numerous villages into "information islands," with all land-based repair routes blocked by floods and landslides.
With roads cut off, communication support shifted to the air. On July 8, a satellite base station drone hovered over Yunbiao Town in Hengzhou, providing stable signals to a large affected area via onboard equipment; a heavy-lift drone equipped with a tri-network chip operated on dual lines, simultaneously transmitting high-definition images of road flooding, landslides, and reservoir water levels, while delivering drinking water and emergency medicines to trapped villages. In Binyang, over 30 survey drones were deployed across the county for aerial inspections of disaster-stricken towns such as Gantang and Luxu. As of 12:00 on July 8, a total of 362 flights had been completed, with a cumulative flight time of 120 hours.
In remote villages completely isolated by floods and landslides, satellite backpacks became portable communication stations carried by repair teams. Impacted by the overtopping danger at Liulan Reservoir, low-lying downstream areas were severely flooded, with roads fully submerged and impassable. Rescue team members, equipped with waterproof gear, carried satellite backpacks weighing over 20 kilograms, portable generators, and accompanying cables, riding assault boats to reach the affected points.
Upon arrival, team members quickly deployed the equipment, establishing independent satellite communication signals within five minutes, prioritizing communication support for key flood control command and livelihood points such as township governments, the Liulan Reservoir front danger command post, disaster area health centers, and centralized resettlement sites. Reservoir duty personnel used the stable link to transmit real-time data on dam seepage and rising water levels, while resettlement site staff registered resident information online and reported supply shortages.
Beyond Guangxi, the entire set of air-ground emergency equipment performs its respective roles in various disaster scenarios nationwide. In June, mountain floods hit Chenzhou, Hunan, causing simultaneous power and fiber optic outages across the town, completely cutting off the township command post. China Mobile's super base station can automatically switch to a high-throughput satellite channel within 30 seconds, prioritizing the protection of flood control command and medical emergency lines. At a resettlement site in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, peak occupancy crowded over a thousand relocated residents, straining the original network capacity. An emergency communication vehicle arrived and quickly set up temporary 5G signals, enabling residents to smoothly video call their families and facilitating community staff in online registration and disaster relief material allocation.
This diverse set of air-ground emergency equipment is supported by a four-tier coordinated emergency response system. Once an alert pops up at the command center, the four-tier command chain at the group, provincial, municipal, and county levels is activated simultaneously, with horizontal coordination among the four major modules: network operations, engineering construction, government-enterprise services, and comprehensive support. The system can fully switch to emergency response status in just 10 minutes.
China Mobile has established a "four vertical and four horizontal" emergency response system, with a vertically integrated four-tier command chain and horizontal coordination among the four modules. The country has been divided into six major professional support zones to shorten emergency response radii. In terms of response mechanisms, upon detecting an anomaly, on-site response occurs within 5 minutes, reporting to headquarters within 5 minutes, and full transition to emergency response status within 10 minutes. Additionally, China Mobile proactively engages with emergency management, water resources, and meteorological departments at all levels to establish a regular information-sharing and joint response mechanism. For contingency planning, standardized handling procedures have been developed for different disaster scenarios, along with a "red, orange, yellow, blue" graded protection plan. Nearly a thousand emergency drills are conducted annually, using methods such as practical exercises and cross-regional training, followed by post-drill reviews and dynamic plan revisions. Unannounced surprise drills across the entire network have been streamlined from an initial 15 hours for one province to just 5 hours for all 31 provinces.
