On July 31st India experienced a blackout of historic proportion. Over two days 700 million people, 9% of the world’s population, were left without power in is what is being called the worst blackout in human history. Across eastern and northern India, hospitals and basic government services lost power, traffic lights stopped working causing even worse traffic jams, and West Bengal miners and urban Delhi metro users were trapped underground.
In the midst of the chaos one thing remained constant: mobile coverage. Citizens across the affected areas were able to reach out to friends and loved ones highlighting the importance of mobile services during national emergencies.
The events of July 31st underscore the importance of reliable 24/7 power and the ability of the industry to deliver decentralised energy in the toughest of conditions. In an article on livemint.com Sanjay Kapoor, the CEO of Bharti Airtel India, explains that the country’s “robust mobile infrastructure has been created with an investment of over $100 billion by the telecom industry and compares with the best in the world.” With over 360,000 mobile towers across the country, the mobile industry effectively runs the largest network of decentralised energy systems in India.
India’s blackout and the impressive resilience of the mobile network signal the importance of back-up power planning and emergency preparedness. Governments across the developing world should work hand-and-hand with the mobile industry to ensure mobile service is not interrupted and that in the face of the worst of emergencies no citizen is left alone calling out in the dark.