Dueto fuel shortages, residents have reported disruptions in MPT and Mytel phonelines in certain townships in Rakhine State, as the cell towers cannot befueled.

InKyauktaw Township, MPT and Mytel phone lines were previously accessiblethroughout the town, providing convenient communication and internet access.However, a resident mentioned that phone line outages have been experiencedsince a week after the onset of the conflict.

"TheMPT and Mytel phone networks are currently experiencing a lack of signal, withno signals displayed. Previously, these services were accessible anywhere, butnow the MPT line is completely inaccessible, and Mytel reception requiresproximity to creeks and fields. Initially, it was believed that the phone lineswere severed, but the actual issue is the lack of fuel in the cell towers dueto road closures preventing fuel delivery," explained the resident.

Likewise,during the initial week of December, the MPT cell tower in Ta Man Thar village,Maungdaw Township, was refueled. However, within four or five days ofrefueling, the phone lines in the vicinity were severed, and certain areasbegan to witness a gradual disruption in connectivity, as reported by aresident.

"Thephone lines have been disconnected for an extended period, and there has been adelay in refueling the MPT cell tower. In Ta Man Thar village, the connectionwas severed just four or five days after refilling the MPT cell tower. It seemsthat the fuel provided was not fully utilized. The fuel prices are alsohigh," expressed the resident.

AMrauk-U resident remarked, "Calling has become unreliable. There areoccasions when the line connects, but there are also instances when it doesn't.Even during a successful connection, the phone line is intermittent, makingconversations inconvenient."

Dueto the ongoing conflict, employees are unable to reach and refuel the celltowers. Consequently, a majority of the cell towers are non-operational,resulting in widespread phone line outages.