Wateen’s Flood Response Kept Pakistan Connected amid Catastrophe

In recent times, torrential monsoon rains triggered the most severe flooding in Pakistan’s history. The catastrophe claimed thousands of lives and left millions homeless across the country.

The country united in extending support to those affected by the floods. Individuals and organizations alike came together to alleviate the suffering of the victims wherever possible.

The scale of damage to the country’s telecom infrastructure was also unprecedented. During this time, the telecom sector stepped up to support the flood-affected areas and victims. Wateen, Pakistan’s leading telecom and ICT services provider, played a huge role by way of ensuring seamless connectivity in this time of need.

Despite the damage to infrastructure caused by heavy rain and flash floods, Wateen made it a point to keep connectivity unhindered so the flood victims could stay connected with those who could help and rescue them.

According to PTA, optical fibers – installed along over 250 bridges that were destroyed across the country – were either washed away or got heavily damaged by the flood water.

“Pakistan’s telecom carriers depend heavily upon our extensive fiber optic network across the country. So, our responsibility was far greater than the telecom operators themselves, for whom we are their backbone connectivity,” shared Farhan Haider, Chief Technology Officer, Wateen.

According to Wateen, it initiated a special 24-hour on-ground flood response where its teams went to the affected areas and communities to fix fiber outages in the face of heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides. The goal was to secure as well as restore connectivity in the least possible time.

“We’re proud of our teams who not only met but exceeded expectations by making sure the people of Pakistan stay connected to their loved ones,” Farhan added.