Impacting Lives Beyond Connectivity – Channelling excess energy from edotco sites to improve quality of life for over 3,500 people

edotco Group Sdn Bhd (“edotco”), the region’s end-to-end integrated telecommunications infrastructure services company, is improving the lives of over 3,500 people in the rural areas of Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Malaysia through its Tower to Community (T2C) programme.

Going beyond its core purpose of enabling connectivity, edotco channels excess electricity from its towers to power up homes and services for communities living in nearby areas. This surplus energy is derived from a combination of renewable energy sources and diesel generators equipped at each site.

“edotco believes that it has a purpose beyond being a telecommunications provider. We seek to also improve the lives of communities living close to our towers. We work hand-in-hand with a wide range of stakeholders as partners in a number of initiatives. The considerable impact from our T2C initiatives are a testament of our commitment to deliver excellence even in areas outside our business priorities. Whether it is to power homes, medical facilities, schools or places of worship, we strive to improve the quality of lives for those living nearby our towers,” said edotco Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Suresh Sidhu.

While access to electricity for the larger population in Bangladesh and Myanmar have been rising with electrification rates at 88% and 70% respectively in 2017, there are still pockets of communities that are not connected to the national grid. These segments struggle to meet basic needs and comfort as reliable and affordable access to electricity continues to be a challenge.

Against this backdrop, edotco’s T2C programme was launched in 2016 as one of its key initiatives to address the unmet needs of people living nearby its towers. Today, there are a total of 32 sites across Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Malaysia that are bringing a positive impact in communities.

Since its inception, this initiative has enhanced the lives at home for school children and their families by generating electricity to power 1,020 houses in over 26 locations in Bangladesh. To improve the living conditions of these communities, edotco has also extended its initiative by installing solar-powered water pumps to ensure over 30 families in villages located in Jadur Haat and Nilphamari have access to clean and safe drinking water. The initiative also powers up one hospital, 30 mosques and 28 schools in Bangladesh.

Addressing a different need in Myanmar, the T2C initiative tends to the limited healthcare access in remote communities by powering up refrigeration systems to maintain the cold chain to store Hepatitis B, BCG, Measles, and Oral polio vaccination for over 2,000 families in rural hard to reach areas. Similarly,ed in Malaysia, the T2C project provides a reliable source of energy to power the refrigeration system and bi-monthly operation of an Orang Asli community clinic in the remote areas of Cameron Highlands.

“We place great emphasis on making a positive impact on the communities in which we operate. At edotco, we believe that you are only as good as what you give back to society. That is why we strive to lead by example and ensure our operations are handled responsibly and sustainably,” added Suresh.

In addition to its community enrichment projects, edotco also focuses on sustainability – a core principle that guides its overall business operations by ensuring its modern-day telecommunications infrastructure solutions are increasingly environmentally friendly.