The three major telecommunications companies are moving to re-deploy communications equipment and reinforce infrastructure at steel mills, a key national industry, to improve their disaster preparedness and ensure rapid recovery.

SK Telecom, KT, LG Uplus, and POSCO announced on the 20th that they signed a business agreement to 'improve mobile phone communication networks and ensure rapid recovery in case of steel mill disasters.'

This business agreement between the three major telecommunications companies and POSCO was implemented to establish an organic joint response system in the event of a disaster at a steel mill, a key national industry, and to quickly normalize mobile communication equipment.

POSCO suffered significant damage last year when Typhoon Hinnamno caused the Pohang Naengcheon River to overflow, flooding the entire steel mill. At that time, communication was cut off as even the mobile communication equipment inside the steel mill was submerged in water.

Through this agreement, the three telecommunication companies and POSCO will redeploy mobile communication equipment installed at the steel mill that is vulnerable to flooding and power outages to reduce the possibility of flooding, and will reinforce the telecommunication infrastructure and improve the environment, including expanding emergency generators.

In addition, we decided to establish a backup system by selecting key priority recovery points to ensure minimal communication even in the worst-case scenario, such as damage or collapse of mobile phone communication equipment, and to establish an emergency response system to enable organic cooperation between POSCO and each telecommunications company.

In addition, in this MOU, the three telecommunication companies and POSCO agreed to cooperate in promoting work for rapid recovery in disaster situations, such as △supporting equipment/personnel necessary for recovery, △operating a hotline, and △joint response training.

Yoon Hyung-sik, in charge of SKT Infrastructure Customer CT (Center), said, “In the event of a disaster, rapid communication is essential to reducing damage,” and added, “By securing a disaster safety communication system within POSCO steel mills, we will strive to help the steel industry, a key national industry, respond to disasters.”