China Telecom has swiftly activated its emergency response protocols following a devastating mudslide on the Nepalese side that caused significant casualties and missing persons at the Gyirong Port in Shigatse, Tibet, while also damaging ground communication infrastructure.

In the wake of the disaster, China Telecom's Satellite Division launched a comprehensive land-and-space integrated communication support operation. The Cloud Network Operations Department has established round-the-clock command at its station, coordinating satellite resources, emergency personnel, and support equipment across the entire network. Meanwhile, the two major earth stations in Beijing and Xi'an are conducting real-time monitoring of satellite beam status over the disaster zone, ensuring stable satellite resource operation without congestion, thereby providing a reliable satellite foundation for rescue operations.

To date, the Tiantong satellite system has facilitated nearly a thousand calls in the affected region, fulfilling critical communication needs such as rescue command and dispatch, survivor assistance requests, and emergency information transmission. On the front lines, China Telecom's emergency communication teams and Tibet branch rescue personnel have deployed to the disaster area carrying Tiantong satellite terminals. Field tests confirm that all satellite terminal devices are properly connected and functional, adequately meeting the region's emergency communication demands.

In a move to maximize communication access for affected residents and rescue personnel while accelerating relief efficiency, China Telecom Tibet branch is offering free Tiantong satellite direct-to-phone emergency communication services to customers in the disaster zone and frontline rescue workers. Additionally, the satellite division has activated complimentary emergency reactivation services for Tiantong emergency numbers in the affected area, ensuring rapid and uninterrupted communication restoration for local users.

In extreme scenarios where ground base stations are destroyed, the Tiantong satellite serves as a crucial communication fallback, complementing the earlier deployment of the Wing Loong UAV aerial communication base stations. This coordinated air-ground approach is clearing the information pathway for the disaster zone. Currently, 48 smartphone models on the market support China Telecom's Tiantong satellite direct-connect functionality, and users can verify their device's hardware capability by checking for satellite network or Tiantong satellite communication options in their phone's settings menu.