Greening of Base Stations Key to Environmental Protection in Cell Industry, Study Says

As mobile phone usage in developing nations remains on the precipice of widespread adoption, the technology that powers these devices is lacking and could cause environmental havoc in the coming years, according to a new study.

 

In fact, according to a study research firm In-Stat (News - Alert), titled  “Green Base Stations: Renewable Energy Becomes a Reality in Cellular Infrastructure”, cellular base stations in these countries typically are off-grid base stations, which are often powered by diesel generators running nonstop.

 

“While diesel pollution is an environmental issue, what bothers operators the most is the cost of powering and securing the generators,” said Allen Nogee, In-Stat analyst. “Diesel fuel has to be trucked to remote sites, and theft of diesel fuel and equipment can cost operators millions of dollars.”

 

While cellular base stations have continued to proliferate over  last few years – In-Stat estimates the number to balloon from hundreds of thousands to the many millions soon– because they operate on the electrical grid, they don’t create greenhouse gases and pollution at nearly the level of the diesel operators.

 

“The solution is for operators to at least partially power remote base stations with wind turbines, solar panels, or both,” said Nogee. “This is truly a case where it pays to be green.”

 

However, the green tide seems to be rising in these nations as there become more and more incentives to jump on the alternative energy bandwagon. In-Stat expects that by 2014, over 230,000 cellular base stations in developing countries will be solar-powered or wind-powered.

 

At the same time, the number of off-grid base stations is growing at 30 percent per year. Most of these stations are primarily located in Africa, South Asia, including India, South America, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

 

This research is part of In-Stat’s Cellular Infrastructure service, which provides analysis of the components and equipment for wireless broadband and communication technologies, including the market trends and network technologies, such as micro, pico, and femtocells.