…Says transition to renewable energy source ‘ll reduce operating cost

By Emmanuel Elebeke

The Nigerian Copmmunications Commission, NCC has tasked  telecom network providers to come up with a modern and more energy-efficient network to minimize the environmental impacts of climate change caused by carbon emissions.

It said the call was necessary because implementing energy efficiency measures could potentially reduce the operating costs of telcos by up to 20%.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, made the call on Wednesday at the 2023 World Consumer Right Day held at the NCC Aneex Head Office, Mbora, Abuja.

He said the call became imperative to address the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation. 

In this regard, Danbatta said the Commission is working on a policy to encourage the adoption of renewable energy sources by operators.

‘‘Transitioning to a renewable energy source like solar power will significantly reduce the menace of pollution from individually-powered generators. Consequently, to minimize the environmental impacts of climate change caused by carbon emissions, telecom network providers need to come up with a modern and more energy-efficient network.

‘‘This includes the use of Solar-powered Cells, wireless electricity or a hybrid system to replace higher energy-consuming equipment that will lead to a reduction in capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) and by implication, a reduction in service costs to consumers.

‘‘Transitioning to renewable energy is predicted to result in a lower cost of operation as operators will be able to save on the cost of diesel, which accounts for a large chunk of the costs incurred by these licensees.

‘‘The competition that the Commission consistently promotes among industry players has a natural consequence of the savings on the cost of diesel passed on to consumers, which would potentially result in lower prices for services.’’

‘‘This is more so because it has been found that implementing energy efficiency measures could potentially reduce the operating costs of telcos by up to 20%.

‘‘Some of these energy-efficiency measures include the redesign of the Radio Access Networks (RAN) of Base Stations which were initially built to maximise connectivity, not energy efficiency.

‘‘More than 75% of the time, the radio base station resources remain unused because of the hardware components activated at all times to transmit system information and synchronisation and reference signals. Therefore, to avoid waste heat, some of 5G’s newest RAN is equipped with an energy-saving measure allowing for the automatic switching of components.

‘‘Some other energy efficiency measures can also include the use of renewable energy sources (hydrogen, wind, solar etc.) to supply the energy needed’’.

He therefore called on MNOs and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to come up with innovations in sustainable energy in line with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Recommendation ITU-T L.1380 on smart energy solutions for telecom sites’ performance, safety, energy efficiency and environmental impact.

This, he said is vital to address the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation. 

When operational, the EVC said the policy will ensure that using clean energy sources for power has the potential to resolve the three key needs of the telecom industry, namely: reduction in diesel usage; expansion of telecom infrastructure to off-grid areas; and reduction in carbon emissions.

He affirmed that the theme of this year event, “Empowering Consumers through Clean Energy Transition”, will form part of the consideration of the Commission’s regulatory mandate.

‘‘We are committed to responsibly using the world’s resources, including protecting the environment by supporting the industry to transition to renewable energy.’’

Highlight of the event was launch of customer service care  desk, TELCARE Deck, which will replicated across the country.