EDOTCO Services Lanka Pvt Ltd (EDOTCO/ EDOTCO Sri Lanka) has commissioned 400 resilient power systems across Sri Lanka to strengthen telecommunications network reliability during natural disasters and prolonged power outages.
The initiative represents an investment of USD 1.7 million (approximately LKR 500 million) and is aimed at ensuring service continuity at mission-critical telecom sites during grid failures, extreme weather events, and national emergencies. EDOTCO plans to scale the deployment to 1,000 power-resilient sites by mid-2026, investing a total of approximately LKR 1.2 Billion, significantly enhancing nationwide network reliability.
The rollout comes in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, which brought extreme rainfall and triggered severe flooding and landslides across the country, affecting 2.3 million people, and disrupting power and communications infrastructure. At the peak of the crisis, more than 2,000 telecom sites were impacted, leaving several districts without mobile and data services for two to five days.
Network outages were primarily caused by prolonged grid power failures, fibre cut due to floods and landslides, site flooding in low-lying areas, and restricted access that delayed restoration efforts. Under the leadership of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), a coordinated response involving mobile operators, utilities, and the military enabled the restoration of approximately 90% of affected sites within one week.
“The recent floods were a stark reminder that telecommunications is no longer just a commercial service—it is a national lifeline during emergencies,” said Air Vice Marshal Bandula Hearth (retd.), Director General of TRCSL. “Strengthening power resilience and redundancy at network sites is essential to safeguard public safety, emergency coordination, and economic continuity as climate risks intensify.”
The power systems are deployed as shared infrastructure, supporting all three mobile network operators – Dialog, Hutch and Mobitel – to improve efficiency while reducing duplication.
Each system includes extended battery backup, rectifiers, standby generators, associated cabins, and alternate power modules, and is engineered with defined Mean Time to Respond (MTTR) targets to enable rapid restoration during outages.
“Cyclone Ditwah made it clear that power resilience is the weakest link in network continuity and we must change how telecom infrastructure is designed and operated” said Gayan Koralage, Country Managing Director, EDOTCO Sri Lanka. “This milestone reflects our commitment to ensuring networks remain operational when communities need them most. Power resilience is no longer optional. It is the backbone of national digital resilience.”
EDOTCO Sri Lanka is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia’s EDOTCO Group, a regional integrated telecommunications infrastructure services provider in Asia and sixth-largest tower company globally. EDOTCO Sri Lanka is the first dedicated tower company in the county to be awarded an Infrastructure Provider License, marking a key milestone in the evolution of Sri Lanka’s telecommunications ecosystem.
Committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s digital transformation, EDOTCO Sri Lanka focuses on expanding network coverage, strengthening resilience and advancing sustainable infrastructure practices, including clean energy adoption and environmentally responsible design. Through close collaboration with regulators, mobile network operators, and key stakeholders, EDOTCO Sri Lanka continues to strengthen the nation’s communications backbone and support inclusive digital access across the country.
