AT&T and Telefónica prepare plan to guarantee connectivity through Beryl

During meteorological events such as Beryl, connectivity services play a key role in allowing people to communicate with their loved ones and to stay up to date on hurricane activity.

AT&T explained to Expansionthrough a written statement, that its contingency plan involves active preventive monitoring of the network status in regions with possible impact. Additionally, the company is conducting a risk assessment on priority fiber optic routes and backup routes, and has deployed teams of critical personnel.

The telecommunications company said it has distributed power generators as support in case of power supply failures and has alternative means of satellite communication to support the restoration of services. It has also established communication with critical suppliers, Civil Protection and government entities to coordinate possible recovery actions.

AT&T has sent communications with preventive measures, including a list of shelters, as well as the delivery of emergency kits for points of sale, and the Solidarity Fund has been activated, with which it supports personnel who may be affected.

Telefónica’s plan for Beryl

The company, although it does not have its own infrastructure, told this newspaper that it has developed a strategy to avoid problems in its connectivity services. Telefónica set up an operations base in the city of Mérida, Yucatán with several spare parts to move by land to the different nodes.

It also carried out diesel recharging for the operation of emergency plants in the main nodes, which are switching rooms and interconnection nodes, as well as the movement of satellite communication equipment, such as telephone and data links for any emergency.

The company will maintain a constant communication channel with employees and Civil Protection to know the status and general recommendations for those who are in the affected states. In addition, they have enabled local WhatsApp groups to monitor their teams about what happens.

Expansión contacted CFE Telecomunicaciones and Internet para Todos, as well as Altán Redes, about the possible security protocol they would apply for Beryl, but as of the publication of this text, the companies had not responded to the request for information.

The meteor is expected to make landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula and then travel across the Gulf of Mexico to touch national territory for the second time, in Tamaulipas, Saturday, July 7, according to the Civil Protection forecast.