The Nigerian Communications Commission is working on a policy to encourage the adoption of renewable energy sources by telecoms operators.
When operational, the Policy will ensure the use of clean energy sources for power which 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.
NCC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, disclosed this in Abuja at the 2022 World Consumer Right Day.
Danbatta said that the Policy on renewable energy in the telecom sector is an additional layer of other policies that contribute to protecting the environment.
In recent years, he said the Commission has introduced a regulatory framework on infrastructure sharing and collocation among the licensees which has encouraged operators to fully maximize their already-deployment infrastructure.
“By sharing infrastructure, some operators do not need to entirely build a telecoms site in an area where another operator had deployed one.
“With the challenge of inadequate public electricity supply in Nigeria, telecom companies rely on diesel-powered generators to keep their telecom sites live round-the-clock. A regulatory framework such as infrastructure sharing, and collocation is helping in this regard and the Commission has recorded appreciable adoption of this regulation, Danbatta noted.
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The commission therefore urged telecom network providers to come up with a modern and more energy-efficient network as a way of minimising the environmental impacts of climate change caused by carbon emissions.
This should include the use of Solar-powered Cells, wireless electricity or a hybrid system to replace higher energy-consuming equipment that will reduce capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) and by implication, a reduction in service costs to consumers.
According to the commission, transitioning to a renewable energy source like solar power will significantly reduce the menace of pollution from individually-powered generators. Aside from eliminating carbon emission from the BTS, it will also solve the problem of noise pollution.
Currently, the over 54,000 BTS scattered across Nigeria depend on diesel generators with some of them operating on diesel generators for 24 hours with the attendant noise and environmental pollution.
Danbatta said that the competition that the NCC 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.
“The Commission, as a responsive world-class organization, has been proactive in responding to the realities and challenges posed by the impact of using fossil fuel as a power source in the telecommunications industry, the NCC boss explained.
The commission 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 to address the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation.
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