The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced a free on-net calling facility for all those stranded in Murree due to heavy snowfall. Mobile phone users who are out of balance and currently present in the Murree and Galiyat region can make calls even with zero balance.
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PTA directed cellular companies to provide free on-net calling facility with uninterrupted services
An official statement from PTA’s Twitter account reads; “On the directions of PTA, cellular mobile operators have extended on-net calling facility to users, with zero balance, stranded in Galyat areas. Users may contact their concerned operators for more info.” The PTA has also directed telecom operators to ensure uninterrupted services to users and keep enough backup arrangements in case of power outages.
Jazz announced a free on-net calling facility and free PTCL calls to all its customers in Murree and Nathiagali to support rescue missions and help ensure essential connectivity in the calamity-hit areas. Ufone has enabled free calls to tourists stranded in Murree and suburbs so that they can access help or stay connected with their loved ones.
Connectivity issues
Although PTA directed cellular companies to provide free on-net calling facilities but the calamity-hit area itself is suffering from a lot of connectivity issues due to extreme snowfall. Due to power breakdown and broken wires in Murree, several cellular towers have stopped working and most of the people don’t know how to make free calls. In this regard, the PTA has requested IESCO to prioritize restoration of power to mobile sites, namely cellular towers, in the region.
On Friday night, at least 22 tourists who were stranded in their vehicles due to heavy snowfall died of the extreme weather conditions. While most of the vehicles were suck in the hill station for more than 22 hours. The area was declared as a calamity-hit region before the rescue operations started to evacuate maximum tourists from Murree.
Source: DAWN
