Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said there is the need for telecom operators to come up with a modern and more energy-efficient network in order to minimize the environmental impacts of climate change caused by carbon emissions.
This according to the commission will include 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 the consumers.
This was stated by the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta at the 2023 World Consumer Rights Day held in Abuja, yesterday.
He stated further that 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 them.
“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.
“Therefore, I want to use this opportunity to call 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 is vital to address the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation,” he explained.
The EVC continued: “In this regard and for the industry stakeholders, especially consumers, to benefit from the advantages of renewable energy, the Commission is working on a policy to encourage the adoption of renewable energy sources by operators.
“When operational, 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.”
Stating efforts of the commission, Prof. Danbatta said 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.
“In this regard, the situation in Nigeria is peculiar. Owing to the overall energy challenges of the nation, the fifty-four (54) thousand BTS scattered across the country depend on diesel generators with the attendant noise and environmental pollution.
“Some of these BTS operate on diesel generators for 24 hours across seven days of the week in some locations. Therefore, transitioning to a renewable energy source like solar power will significantly reduce the menace of pollution from individually-powered generators. This will be zero carbon emission from the BTS just as noise pollution would be a thing of the past,” he added.
Speaking on this year’s theme, the Prof Danbata said arising from the successes in implementing initiatives to realize last year’s theme, the Commission is poised to realize the theme for this year, which is ‘Empowering Consumers through Clean Energy Transition’. The theme is geared towards delivering a smooth transition for consumers experiencing a high cost of living as the globe responds to the ongoing energy crisis caused by supply and climate issues.
“This theme is very relevant given Nigeria’s recent licensing of the 5G spectrum networks, which consume twice as much energy as 4Gs, although they are more energy-efficient per gigabyte.
He added that with the recent licensing of the Fifth Generation (5G) spectrum, Nigeria will witness an increased deployment of telecom infrastructure to satisfy the wireless service coverage requirement for 5G services.
This anticipated growth in the number of 5G coverage will trigger high demand for data services which will result in increased energy consumption for the network infrastructure especially the Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), Internet of Things (IoT), 5G Customer Premise Equipment (CPEs) and mobile devices for example.
“This therefore requires the industry to look for green and sustainable power solutions required for the connectivity of IoT devices and network optimization.
“All over the globe, telecom companies are among the biggest energy users, as a result of the stiff industry competition which causes them to try to satisfy their consumers by providing higher-speed networks. With the rising utility costs, it is critical for companies to reconsider the sustainability of their operations by lowering the operational impact on the environment. 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%.”
The Policy on renewable energy in the telecom sector is an additional layer of other policies that contribute to protecting the environment. Others include Factoring in energy efficiency in Type Approval; ICT competitions focusing on renewable energy; Regulations on e-Waste and to mark the 2023 World
Consumer Rights Day, the commission launched Telecom Consumer Assistance, Resolution and Enquiries (TELCARE) Desk, in the Arrival Lounge of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja.
According to the EVC, the TELCARE Desk in Abuja will be a pilot as the commission plans to set up the desk at strategic locations across the country to provide information to telecom consumers.
“The TELCARE Desk serves as an additional platform to receive and facilitate the resolution of consumer complaints; provide a means through which consumers and citizens can make inquiries on consumer issues; provide a platform for advocacy on any thematic consumer issue or concerns; to further enhance awareness of the Commission’s activities.”
Earlier in his opening remarks the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management Mr. Adeleke Adewolu said this year’s World Consumer Rights Day at NCC is pivoting the celebrations around a theme which allows the commission to design more environmentally sustainable service models in order to truly serve consumers better.
“The theme of WCRD 2023 is ‘Empowering Consumers through Clean Energy Transition’ and to carefully examine the unintended side-effects of our critical social infrastructure on our environment,” he said.