Robi has become the first mobile operator in the country to adopt global principles for disaster response.
Recently, Robi’s parent company, Axiata Group Berhad (Axiata) signed up the Humanitarian Connectivity Charter (Charter) launched by GSMA- the apex association of Global Mobile phone operators. Through the Charter, mobile operators will commit to a common set of principles and work towards the adoption of initiatives focused on humanitarian connectivity.
With Axiata as a founding signatory to the Charter, Robi is now the first and only mobile operator in Bangladesh committed to the Charter principles by implementing disaster response initiative to support customers and responders before, during and after humanitarian emergencies, in collaboration with public sector, humanitarian efforts, and communities.
The Charter ensures predictable response to people’s need during times of disasters. Over the last decade, 1.8 billion people have been affected by disasters around the world. The challenges posed by these crises are too large for any single entity to address individually. The key solution is to ensure collaboration and partnership both within the industry and with external partners.
In addition to Axiata, the other leading mobile operators globally have adopted the Charter principles- representing a cumulative subscriber base of over 1 billion across 35 countries. The Charter is also supported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), the UN Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
In this context, the Charter offers a common operational framework for all mobile network operators (MNOs) to strengthen preparedness, collaboration and resilience within the industry. The Charter also commits to support subscribers and equip responders to face the growing challenges presented by natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies.
About Axiata
Axiata is one of the largest Asian telecommunications companies. Axiata has controlling interests in mobile operators in Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Cambodia with significant strategic stakes in India and Singapore.
The Group’s mobile subsidiaries and associates operate under the brand name ‘Celcom’ in Malaysia, ‘XL’ in Indonesia, ‘Dialog’ in Sri Lanka, ‘Robi’ in Bangladesh, ‘Smart’ in Cambodia, ‘Idea’ in India and ‘M1’ in Singapore.
The Group, including its subsidiaries and associates, has over 260 million mobile subscribers in Asia. The Group revenue for 2014 was RM18.7 billion. The Group provides employment to over 25,000 people across Asia. Axiata’s vision is to be a regional champion by 2015 by piecing together the best throughout the region in connectivity, technology and talent, uniting them towards a single goal: Advancing Asia.
The Group has expanded its portfolio of business which now includes a communications infrastructure solutions and services company called “edotco” and a digital services company, Axiata Digital Services.
Axiata was awarded the Frost & Sullivan 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Asia Pacific ICT Award for Best Telecom Group and the Telecom Asia Best Regional Mobile Group 2010 and 2011 for its operations in multiple Asian markets.
About Robi Axiata Ltd:
Robi Axiata Limited is a joint venture between Axiata Group Berhad, of Malaysia and NTT DoCoMo Inc., of Japan. Robi is the second largest mobile phone operator in Bangladesh in terms of revenue, with 27.4 million subscribers, as of June 2015. Robi network provides nationwide coverage to nearly 99% of the population with 12,679 2.5G BTS and over 2,450 3.5G sites. Robi proudly claims to have the widest international roaming service in the market, connecting 600 operators across more than 200 countries. It is also the first operator to introduce GPRS and 3.5G services in Bangladesh. The Company has introduced many first of its kind digital services in the country and has invested heavily in taking mobile financial services to the underserved communities in the rural and semi-urban areas.