When Cyclone Remal hit the coastal belt of Bangladesh, mobile networks went down once the backup was exhausted. Despite this, residents of Char Abdullah in Meghna River – an island 17 kilometres from the Lakshmipur mainland – experienced uninterrupted mobile connectivity. This was as a result of a solar-powered mobile tower that Robi installed in the Janata Bazar area of the island.
While many on the mainland were cut off from updates on the storm, Char Abdullah’s 6,000 residents, all using Robi SIM cards, remained informed. For example, Saddam Hossain, 21, noted that his internet-enabled mobile was a lifeline, keeping him and others updated during the storm.
Meanwhile, residents on nearby islands and the mainland experienced network inactivity for at least two days. For example, Firoz, a 27 year-old buffalo herdsman, faced severe network issues while on nearby uninhabited land.
Robi’s chief corporate and regulatory officer, Shahed Alam, has noted that complete dependency on solar is currently unfeasible, as solar panels can only power a tower for 5–8 hours. Broader adoption of solar in towers requires government facilitation and incentives.
The success of Char Abdullah’s solar-powered tower highlights the importance of investing in renewable energy to enhance network resilience, contributing to SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
Robi has embraced the Advancing to Net Zero initiative of its parent, Axiata Group, and is on course to achieve a 45% carbon reduction by 2030 (with 2020 as a baseline) and attain the goal of net zero by 2050.
