Residents of Donetsk are concerned about the lack of mobile communications from MTS - the last Ukrainian operator operating on the territory of the DPR in the standard range. The local operator "Phoenix" is currently not able to fully provide all its subscribers with the required services. For example, there is no way to make calls to Ukrainian numbers, and people lose contact with relatives. So why is there no MTS connection for so long?
First Trial
On the evening of January 11, 2018, many users began to complain about the inability to make and receive calls, as the cellular network coverage suddenly disappeared. For them, this was not the first time, because there were similar communication problems before. The question of why there is no MTS connection in Donetsk has never been so acute. She would disappear for a few hours or even a couple of days, but she always reappeared after a while.
However, already on January 12 on the official websitethe operator received information that this situation is different from those that were before. In a brief news report, it was said that there was extensive damage to a key backbone fiber optic cable that needed to be repaired. The question of why there is no MTS connection began to flicker in social networks much more often.
Problems on the way
It would seem that this is so? An ordinary malfunction that may occur due to irresponsible builders or black diggers. However, in this situation, everything was not so simple. There is no MTS connection in Donetsk due to a damaged main channel.
The fact is that the damage to the cable was found in the so-called "gray zone", which is a neutral territory between the Ukrainian military formations and the soldiers of the DPR. In order for the repair team to carry out the required repairs, security guarantees are needed, which neither side could provide without agreement.
Attempts to find solutions
Some residents began to think that the operator decided to abandon its subscribers, as Lifecell had already done about a year ago. However, on January 15, 2018, information appeared on the official website that negotiations had begun to provide a safe corridor in the "gray zone". This could already be called a breakthrough, because further success depended on these negotiations, and the operator actively tried to conduct them as soon as possible. The question of why there is no connection from MTS began to be gradually resolved. Complexitywas to reach an agreement between the two warring parties. Previously, when the need arose, almost all such negotiations failed miserably, but this time it was different.
Start of renovations
Already on January 17, 2018, the operator reported on the start of repair work. This meant that they still managed to agree, and communication would be restored. It remains only to wait for the completion of repairs. According to official reports, fixing this particular problem took about two days. As a result, on January 19, 2018, a message appeared in the operator’s news feed stating that communications had been fully restored in the neighboring LPR. However, as it turned out, that was not the end of the story.
There is still no connection in Donetsk
After the restoration of the main cable, attempts were made to start the equipment located on the territory of Donetsk. However, at least remotely, it could not be accessed. This meant only one thing: there is no MTS connection in Donetsk, and it will not appear soon. As the operator himself suggests, this is due either to a lack of power at the base stations, or to their physical damage.
The reports that were published earlier contain information about the amount of damaged equipment. Even before this accident, it accounted for a third of all the operator's assets on the territory of the DPR. This suggests that there are many more obstacles to overcome to restore full functionality.
Current situation
As of January 22, 2018, there is no connection from MTS in Donetsk. The coverage is still missing. However, residents of the outskirts report that sometimes they manage to activate the network and even make a few calls. This suggests that the towers on the periphery of the city are in good condition and provide cellular network coverage.
The operator continues repair work in order to fully restore communication for its subscribers. Indeed, for many residents of Donetsk, the possibility of using a Ukrainian card is an urgent need. Banks do not recognize internal operator numbers, therefore, in order to use the money transfer option, you must accept SMS, and if there is no MTS connection, it is simply impossible to withdraw a salary or pension.
It remains only to hope and wait until the operator will carry out all the necessary work related to the restoration of the network of base stations. It gives confidence that the process is not stopped, but is moving forward, although not as fast as many would like. The only strange fact is the lack of repair teams from MTS on the territory of Donetsk, which could promptly eliminate malfunctions. The main difficulty is seen precisely in the fact that repairs are carried out by visiting repairmen from Ukraine, which significantly slows down the process.
