A devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28, causing extensive damage to the nation's telecommunications infrastructure and significantly impacting towercos operating in the region.
The quake, centred near Mandalay, has resulted in over 3,000 fatalities and thousands of injuries.
The earthquake led to the collapse of numerous communication towers and cells, disrupting landline, mobile, and internet networks nationwide. In Yangon, telecommunications services were disabled from the time of the earthquake until past 22:00 MMT, with electricity available only intermittently. In more remote townships, power was entirely unavailable.
The destruction of these critical infrastructures has severely hindered rescue and relief operations. Tower companies operating in Myanmar and neighbouring countries are facing significant challenges due to the earthquake's impact on infrastructure.
Companies are mobilising resources to assess the damage and initiate repairs, however damaged roads and bridges have further complicated efforts to restore services and provide connectivity to affected areas.
TowerXchange spoke to Hans Moritz, Chief Technology Officer at Irrawaddy Green Towers, on how they’ve been affected, and their response strategy moving forward. “For the population it is a disaster, and our offices are severely damaged, but we had no casualties, and our tower damage is minimal. We are lucky.”
The towerco’s immediate plan of action is to assess the full damage in affected regions and deploy temporary solutions like Cell on Wheels where needed. Long-term, more robust strategies will be required:
“For the whole industry, it is a big hit, and the income for the operators will be affected. We will need more investment to fix the damaged equipment over the next 6 months.” Mortiz said.
As disaster response strategies become more crucial, many towercos will be looking into remote monitoring systems (RMS) to provide real-time site visibility, and the use of data analytics to pre-empt the hardening of sites and deploy mobile equipment in disaster-prone areas.
Despite current efforts, the restoration of telecommunications infrastructure remains a challenge in Myanmar. The combination of physical destruction, logistical obstacles, and political complexities has created a multifaceted crisis that will require coordinated efforts from both domestic and international stakeholders to address effectively.
