Measures for improving communications network reliability, securing critical communications, and enabling prompt restoration of serviceProviding our customers with means of checking on the safety of relatives and friends in the event of a large-scale disasterImproving the reliability of communications networks
NTT Group companies have learned a great many lessons from
their experiences during great disasters of the past, and are
putting accumulated expertise to work in the creation of ever
more reliable communications networks. For example, transmission
lines are multi-routed for redundancy and telephone
exchanges housing transit switches sufficiently dispersed that
communications can be rerouted to avoid damaged areas in
the event of a natural disaster. Our buildings, steel towers, and
both indoor and outdoor communications equipment have all
been designed to withstand not only earthquakes but damage
from wind, water, and fire.
We monitor our nationwide communications network 24 hours
a day and are ready to respond to any eventuality at any time.
Please also see Feature 3: Protecting the Communications Infrastructure.
Securing essential communications
As soon as an earthquake or some other disaster strikes, the
telephone system of the affected area is inundated with calls
from worried friends and relatives. Under such conditions, we
suppress ordinary phone traffic to secure critical communications
services necessary to conduct emergency rescue and
restoration operations, maintain public order, and keep our 110
and 119 emergency number services going.
We also provide Disaster Emergency Dengon (Message) Dial
(171) and i-mode Disaster Message Board services to the general
public as a means of checking on the safety of relatives and friends in affected areas, and provide specially installed public telephones
at evacuation sites and other facilities in affected areas for use by residents.
Fast recovery of services
NTT Group companies station highly mobile disaster response
equipment at locations throughout the country to aid in the fast
recovery of services and securing of critical communications
in the event of a natural disaster. This equipment, which includes
power supply vehicles, portable satellite communications
equipment, and portable mobile base stations, can be deployed
anywhere in response to a disaster.
In cases where communications services have been disrupted
by a major disaster, an emergency structure including a disaster
management headquarters is immediately set up, and Group and affiliated
companies also gather under this structure to form a wide-area support organization that works to promptly restore services.
Initiatives
Enabling people to check on the safety of relatives and friends in disaster areas
In the event of a major natural disaster, NTT offers its Disaster
Emergency Dengon (Message) Dial (171) and i-mode Disaster
Message Board services to the general public as means
of verifying the safety of family, relatives, and friends in affected
areas. To help promote the effective use of these services
by the general public, we provide opportunities for people
to try them out during Japan's Disaster Prevention Week
(August 30-September 5) and Disaster Prevention and Volunteer
Week (January 15-21), as well as on the first day of
every month (excluding January 1).
NTT provides the general public with opportunities to learn how to use its Disaster Emergency Message Dial (171), i-mode Disaster Message Board and other services before the need to use them arises. Instructions and other information are provided on the NTT Group's disaster countermeasures website. (in Japanese only)
Disaster response training for major earthquakes centered in Tokyo
Each year, NTT Group companies conduct disaster response
training programs based on a variety of scenarios. For example,
NTT EAST held three training sessions in fiscal 2005 that
supposed a major earthquake centered in Tokyo, including a
joint session on January 25, 2006 with the Japan Self-Defense
Forces (JSDF) in which JSDF helicopters practiced the airlifting
of disaster response equipment, and NTT EAST and JSDF
personnel worked together to set up temporary communications
lines.
On October 14, 2005, NTT DoCoMo too held an exercise based
on a scenario in which a major earthquake struck the Tama area
of metropolitan Tokyo. With field headquarters established in the
city of Tachikawa, a variety of portable mobile base stations and
power supply vehicles were dispatched to the affected area in what was a realistically staged comprehensive disaster response
training program.
Responding to heavy snow
In the winter of 2005, the worst heavy snow in Niigata Prefecture
in 19 years resulted in nearly twice the number of repair
calls to communications facilities as in the previous year.
With support from other Group and affiliated companies as
well as from other service areas, NTT EAST dispatched an
average of 626 repair workers a day to the affected area to
carry out maintenance work such as the excavation of cables
from deep snow. Other measures implemented to ensure the
maintenance of communications services included the procurement
of portable power generators and the purchase of fuel for them from areas outside Niigata Prefecture to maintain power supply to communications
equipment in the face of intermittent widespread power outages.
Facilities Emergency Hotline
The NTT Group is committed to maintaining stable operation of the communications infrastructure that serves as a lifeline for our customers. For example, NTT WEST has established a system for the early discovery and repair of equipment that has been damaged by natural disasters or accidents, and has also launched a Facilities Emergency Hotline to enable customers to report problems with equipment and facilities. All reports of faulty equipment are handled through this centralized contact point to ensure fast and accurate response to our customers' needs.
NTT facilities serve as emergency shelters for tsunami
As part of the NTT Group's commitment to serving the public interest in times of disasters, it cooperates in the implementation of a wide variety of emergency measures, and as of January 2005, NTT WEST has made NTT facilities at 16 locations along the coast of Mie Prefecture available as shelters. Mie Prefecture solicited the cooperation of NTT WEST as part of planned emergency measures to be taken in the event of tsunamis caused by serious Pacific coast earthquakes. Similar discussions are now underway with Wakayama Prefecture, and NTT is looking into making facilities in other coastal locations available in such situations.
