The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a direction to the telecom service providers to ensure that at least 50% of all telecom towers in rural areas and 20% in urban areas should run on hybrid power — a combination of renewable energy and grid power — by 2015.
The towers use diesel as a fuel now. “Further 75% of rural towers and 33% of urban towers are to be powered by hybrid power by 2020,” said the regulator.
The TRAI also said all telecom products, equipment and services in the telecom network should be certified “Green Passport” by 2015. Telecommunication Engineering Centre, a body under the department of telecommunications (DoT), will certify telecom products, equipment and services.
“All service providers should declare to TRAI, the carbon footprint of their network operations. The declaration of the carbon footprints should be done twice in a year, said the TRAI.
“Service providers should adopt a voluntary code of practice encompassing energy efficient network planning, infra-sharing, deployment of energy efficient technologies and adoption of renewable energy technology to reduce carbon footprints.”
It has also suggested that the service providers should evolve a carbon credit policy with an objective of achieving a maximum of 50% over the carbon footprint levels of the base year (2011) in rural areas.
{{/usCountry}}It has also suggested that the service providers should evolve a carbon credit policy with an objective of achieving a maximum of 50% over the carbon footprint levels of the base year (2011) in rural areas.
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