Accelerating Communication Disaster Management Plan... Implementation of CCTV Installation and Communication Network Diversification

The 1st Meeting of the 2020 Telecommunications Disaster Management Deliberation Committee Held

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] Domestic telecommunications operators have been accelerating their disaster management plans by installing CCTV and locks at major facilities and diversifying transmission routes to prevent a national communication crisis that may occur during disaster situations. The government plans to issue corrective orders to facilities that failed to implement the disaster management plan as scheduled last year.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on the 31st, at the '1st Telecommunications Disaster Management Deliberation Committee of 2020' held the previous day, ▲the implementation status of the 2019 revised telecommunications disaster management plan was reported, and ▲the 2020 telecommunications disaster management basic plan revision (draft) and ▲the revision of the designation criteria for important telecommunications facilities were deliberated and resolved.

First, regarding access security, it was confirmed that KT and SK Broadband installed locks at a total of 142 facilities as planned. LG HelloVision and t-broad also carried out CCTV installation and reinforcement work at 4 facilities originally scheduled for this year, resulting in a total of 8 operators completing work at 538 facilities.

In the power supply network diversification sector, SK Broadband completed related work early at one facility originally scheduled after 2020. Three operators have completed diversification at a total of 17 facilities. Backup power reinforcement was also completed early by t-broad and others, finishing work at all important telecommunications facilities.

Regarding telecommunications network diversification, 5 operators are planning for a total of 124 facilities. It was confirmed that 6 operators have implemented diversification at a total of 82 facilities. Four operators including SK Telecom, LG Uplus, SK Broadband, and D'Live proceeded as planned, while CJ Hello promoted diversification at one facility not originally planned.

However, KT expanded the number of facilities for telecommunications network diversification to 94 in the 2020 telecommunications disaster management plan established in July last year, but due to more time than expected required for network design, operation system changes, and line reinforcement, diversification was completed at only 51 facilities as per the previous plan. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to issue corrective orders for 43 facilities that failed to implement telecommunications network diversification in 2019.

On the day, the deliberation committee also reviewed and resolved the '2020 Telecommunications Disaster Management Basic Plan Revision' which shortens the diversification period of LG HelloVision's telecommunications and power supply networks from 2023 to 2022 in accordance with the conditions for LG Uplus's acquisition approval of CJ Hello.

Additionally, issues such as some nationwide network management centers designated as national infrastructure being classified as grade C in the important telecommunications facilities designation criteria and thus excluded from power supply network diversification were discussed. Among nationwide network management centers, those that do not provide separate telecommunications services have been designated as grade C because even if a disaster occurs at these facilities, it does not affect the telecommunications service itself. Representative examples include KT Gwacheon Network Control Center and LG Uplus Magok Building.

The Ministry of Science and ICT decided that in the future, nationwide network management centers will be upgraded to grade A in consideration of their designation as national infrastructure, even if they do not provide telecommunications services.