How solar power saves the day for Char Abdullah residents despite Remal

Cyclone Remal's devastation left around 33,000 mobile networks crippled across the nation. Yet despite the chaos thus generated, residents of Char Abdullah, a secluded island 17km away from Lakshmipur's mainland, astonishingly remained connected even through the storm's fiercest onslaughts.

While many on the mainland were cut off from crucial storm updates before the cyclone, residents of the 10-square-kilometre island in the Meghna River stayed informed through the internet.

How did this tiny island manage to keep its network intact? The answer lies in its solar-powered mobile tower.

Around a decade ago, the mobile operator Robi installed a solar-powered tower in the Janata Bazar area of the island. The tower has withstood stormy rains and floods without issue, ensuring uninterrupted service for nearly 6,000 residents, all of whom rely on Robi SIM cards.

Saddam Hossain, 21, from Teliachar in Char Abdullah, told TBS over the phone that in the midst of the storm, his internet-enabled mobile became a crucial lifeline. It not only kept him informed but also enabled him to distribute vital updates to others.

"Had the tower relied on conventional power, it may have faltered. Our intact communication was solely due to the operational solar-powered mobile tower," Saddam said.

According to industry insiders, almost 13% of Robi's network sites have solar systems. Other operators use much less. 

Meanwhile, others on Char Abdullah's nearby islands or even on the mainland had a different storm experience. All networks, including Robi, were completely inactive from the day of the storm for at least two days. 

Firoz, a 27-year-old buffalo herdsman, along with some companions was tending a herd on an unnamed and uninhabited char just a couple of kilometres off the mainland. 

Although each was using different SIMs, they faced mobile network issues after midnight on Sunday, worsening by Monday morning and leaving them cut off until Tuesday afternoon. Two days later, a buffalo owner arrived on a boat, saving them from the flooded char. 

"Despite multiple attempts, I couldn't contact anyone in the tumultuous wind, marking it one of my most harrowing experiences," said Firoz.

Abdus Sattar Palwan, a Supreme Court lawyer, shared his insights after hurrying to his village home near the Lakshmipur coast before the storm. 

He said every mobile operator in the coastal area should connect solar power to their towers. "Without mobile networks, people in these areas remain uninformed about the weather."

A herd of buffaloes wade in the River Meghna at a char between Char Kakra and Char Maij as the water began to ebb on 30 June, three days after Cyclone Remal. During the cyclone, a few thousand buffaloes were stuck in tidewater in the river between Lakshmipur and Bhola districts, making their owners worried about their safety. Photo: Sana Ullah Sanu

Why not more solar-run towers?

Mohammed Shahedul Alam, chief corporate and regulatory officer at Robi, told TBS that complete solar dependency was not feasible yet as common solar panels can run a tower for 5-8 hours, depending on availability of sunlight.

He added that a broader adoption of solar power in towers hinges on government facilitation. 

"Cyclone Remal taught us all a lesson—we need to combat prolonged power outages and the telecom industry needs encouragement, incentives and facilitation for investing a lot for maximum preparation," said Alam.

For instance, he said, his company in recent years has replaced all carbon batteries at sites with modern lithium ion ones and there has been no duty relief to encourage energy efficiency. "By facilitating such investments, the government could save a huge amount of foreign currency ultimately."

Solar panels were supposed to have been fully paying back an investor in seven years and the period should already have been shortened now due to the electricity price hike, he added.