Rains & Routers (Part 2): The Battle Between ISPs and Monsoon Disruptions

Part 2: The ISPs Perspective – What Really Happens When It Rains

Rainy days might mean comfort for customers, but for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), they mark the beginning of an intense and unpredictable season. The pressure ramps up as network loads surge, field teams face accessibility issues, and customer expectations skyrocket.

What ISPs Actually Face During Monsoons

It’s not just technical, customer expectations and on-ground realities make this season especially difficult.

Customer-Side Challenges:

• Panic calls during heavy rains even when the issue is outside ISP control (e.g., local power cuts).

• Misplaced blame: Many users assume ISP failure even if it’s a faulty home router or local electric issue.

• Multiple complaints from a single building/area, flooding the support queue.
  

Ground-Level Incidents:

• Field engineers wading through flooded streets to access junction boxes.

• Delays due to blocked roads, landslides, or ongoing construction.

• Electricity risks while handling water-logged cabinets or poles.

• Router replacements in homes with no surge protection, often caused by lightning damage.

Despite all this, ISPs often restore services in a matter of hours, not days.

How ISPs Prepare for the Monsoon

ISPs start preparing well before the first thunderclap, upgrading infrastructure, strengthening field protocols, and training support teams.

1. Infrastructure Upgrades

To reduce rain-related damage, ISPs typically carry out pre-monsoon checks and upgrades:

• Waterproofing junction boxes

• Replacing vulnerable copper lines with fiber optics

• Reinforcing underground ducts to avoid water seepage

• Installing weatherproof outdoor routers for enterprise clients

These preventive measures significantly reduce the chance of large-scale breakdowns.

2. Real-Time Network Monitoring

ISPs constantly scan for:

• Abnormal latency spikes

• Packet loss patterns in specific areas

• Sudden power drops at data hubs or customer clusters

This allows them to act before major outages happen.

3. Boosting Support Operations

ISPs scale up their operations by:

• Hiring additional support agents

• Setting up monsoon-dedicated task forces

• Offering remote troubleshooting guides for quick home fixes

• Using IVR and chatbots to manage common queries like slow speeds and disconnections

This ensures faster resolution and less waiting for customers.

How to Choose the Right ISP for the Monsoon

When selecting an ISP during monsoon-prone months, here’s what to consider:

• Proven monsoon performance

• Transparent communication during outages

• Rapid field response times

• Robust infrastructure upgrades and backup systems
  

Final Thoughts (ISP’s POV)

ISPs aren’t just battling cables and signals, they’re managing storms, flooded roads, frustrated customers, and technical breakdowns, often all at once.

But good ISPs don’t back down. They invest, prepare, and respond, rain or shine, so your world stays connected. Behind every restored signal is a technician who didn’t let a storm stop them.