BuffaloGrid services now live in Bangladesh

Today we’re delighted to announce that StreamSpot + is now live in Bangladesh!

As part of our mission to bridge the digital divide by removing connectivity barriers for the next billion, our solar powered StreamSpot + is now being deployed in unconnected and underserved communities across Bangladesh.

We are delighted to be partnered with Robi Axiata, one of the largest mobile network operators in Bangladesh on this project which aims to give thousands of people in Bangladesh an easy-to-reach point to charge their phone and access high quality streaming services.

Embraced by the locals

So far the reaction of the local shopkeepers and residents has been absolutely amazing. We also had the opportunity to present to all the regional teams from Robi and everyone is excited about the potential.

In one of our first deployments in the city of Dhaka we were training the retailer to connect to our Streaming Platform and once connected he immediately started to stream some content that he left in the background while serving his customers.

In another location a group of children reached the outlet after school after the introduction of the service they were delighted to be able to stream our partner’s Sesame Street content in their language.

Connecting the community

Bangladesh is the mostly populated country in the world and 95% of the population is covered by 3G or 4G networks, but out of the 168M people living here only 50% have access to mobile internet, that leaves over 80M people unconnected.

We are very excited to be working with Robi and their extraordinary people whose purpose: “Keeping pace with the evolving digital landscape of the country” aligns entirely with BuffaloGrid’s mission to remove internet adoption barriers by providing free mobile charging and digital services to connect the next billion.

As part of its mission to change this stark reality, BuffaloGrid unveiled the latest version of its solar-powered charging and streaming technology at this year’s Mobile World Congress.

Called StreamSpot+, the next generation of its solar-powered charging hardware will feature access to a brand new digital media streaming platform providing access to education and health content, as well as other streaming services.

Our ambitious plans

This year the new StreamSpot + will now be deployed to villages and refugee camps across Bangladesh, Nigeria and East Africa. The aim is to use this combination of hardware and software to remove internet adoption barriers for the next billion and help everyone in the world get connected.

This work has been made possible through collaboration with global and regional partners including the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees, the GSMA Digital Alliance, and TechFugees, a global nonprofit founded to empower displaced people with technology.

The StreamSpot + will be deployed across rural communities and refugee camps globally, and can charge 10 portable electronic devices (such as mobile phones) at the same time. It also creates a local Wifi Hotspot allowing users to connect to the StreamSpot+ Streaming Platform which provides access to entertainment, sports, educational and health content.

Introducing 'Knowledge is Freedom' bringing information and energy to displaced people

Global forced displacement has surpassed 80 million people.

Climate change, war, conflict, economic challenges and persecution force 1 in every 97 people to leave their homes, few of which to ever return.

That’s why today, in partnership with TechFugees, we’re launching “Knowledge is Freedom” a campaign aimed at bringing free education and energy to over a million people living in refugee camps around the world.

The campaign was inspired by the words of our own CSO, Vanessa Arelle, who told an audience at a Techfugees conference earlier this year:

“Knowledge is Power. Power is Freedom. Freedom is a Right.”

Together with the incredible team at TechFugees, we’re playing our small part in helping elevate the voices of displaced people by launching a campaign to deploy BuffaloGrid Hubs in refugee camps in East Africa and the Middle East.

The Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei settlement in the desert of north-western Kenya. Just one location BuffaloGrid Hubs will be deployed if the campaign is successful. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown

The initial service will see solar-powered BuffaloGrid Hubs deployed in refugee camps across Kenya and Uganda. The BuffaloGrid Hubs will provide free access to education and health content, other streaming services and free solar-powered charging. for phones and other devices.

A BuffaloGrid Hub on deployment in India. Photo: Naveen Chandrakar/BuffaloGrid (2019)

Raj Burman, Chief Executive Officer at Techfugees Innovation commented on the project, saying “In an increasingly digital and climate change stricken world, our mission is to make sure forcibly displaced people don’t get left behind.

“Around 400,000 marginalised refugees reside in the Rwamwanja and Kakuma-Kalobeyei settlements camp in Uganda and Kenya respectively”,

“Our collaboration with BuffaloGrid presents a unique opportunity for an innovative responsible digital solution to empower displaced communities with the support of our Chapters in Kenya and Uganda to overcome the access barriers to education and health content to better their livelihoods.

“Our teams on the ground engage displaced communities and are currently sourcing content partners to facilitate deployment of BuffaloGrid hubs for the initial pilot. 

Current solutions for charging devices can be dangerous and ineffective. Photo: Sarine Arslanian

BuffaloGrid’s CEO, Daniel Becerra, added: “Our mission is to remove barriers for internet adoption and provide the next billion with information, energy and digital skills. I hope this campaign will raise awareness of the plight of displaced people and how collectively we have the power to change things.

"The entire team is excited to work with Techfugees. I believe together we have the technical expertise, experience and connections to make a real difference.”

Today’s announcement builds on our work to remove internet adoption barriers for unconnected communities globally, providing free power to charge mobile devices, digital content and services.

Follow our journey on Twitter and be part of our mission by joining us on Crowdcube.

The UN Refugee Agency to benefit from BuffaloGrid’s “Get Power, Give Power” campaign

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported our “Get Power, Give Power” campaign so far. 

We smashed through our initial funding target on Kickstarter and the first batch of Buffalitos will go into production this month!

Today, we have some more exciting news. BuffaloGrid have confirmed a collaboration with UK for UNHCR, the national charity partner for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and I can now confirm the first batch of Buffalitos you have helped fund will be delivered directly to the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda. UNHCR will ensure that they are provided for free to the people that need them most. 

Credit:Francesco B / Bidi Bidi, Uganda - Licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0

There are 1.2 million refugees in Uganda's Bidi Bidi Settlement which is the largest refugee camp in Uganda and the second largest in the world, covering 250 square kilometres.

It is estimated that 73 per cent of men and 44 per cent of women in Bidi Bidi own a phone. We are honoured to put power and light into their hands by providing Buffalitos to refugees across the camp. The Buffalito can be charged from solar energy and will act as a light for hours while fully charging most phones. 

This is only the start. We hope that throughout the rest of the campaign and beyond we are able to provide many more Buffalitos to this refugee and others around the world. 

Don’t worry if you missed out on our Kickstarter, for a limited time only the Buffalito is available on on IndieGoGo.

Picture: Angela Balakrisnan/ DFID licensed under Creative Commons 2.0