Take green path: Trai to telcos

 As per the Trai recommendations on “Approach Towards Green Telecommunications,” telecom service providers should focus on carbon emission reduction targets at 8 per cent (by the year 2012-13), 12 per cent (by 2014-15), 17 per cent (by 2016-17) and 25 per cent (by 2018-19).

In the next five years, at least 50 per cent of all rural towers and 33 per cent of the urban towers are to be powered by hybrid power (Renewable Energy Technologies (RET) + Grid power) by 2015, while all rural towers and 50 per cent of  urban towers are to be hybrid powered by 2020, suggested the regulator.

“All Service providers should evolve a ‘carbon credit policy’ in line with carbon credits norms with the ultimate objective of attaining full carbon neutral footprints in rural areas and with 50 per cent carbon neutral footprint in urban areas by the year 2020,” says the paper.

India has presently around four lakh telecom towers with average power consumption per tower being 3 to 4 kw. With the phenomenal growth in both telecom and information technology across the globe it is expected that these two segment would contribute around 3 per cent of the global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) by the year 2020. Now, globally the telecommunication sector contributes around 0.7 per cent of the global GHG emissions, while it is one per cent in India.

The telecom service providers put in place a phased programme to ensure that at least 50 per cent of all towers in the rural areas should be powered by hybrid renewable sources by the year 2015.