China's Huawei to supply solar-powered base stations to Bangladesh

Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies has signed a deal with leading Bangladesh mobile operator Grameenphone to supply solar-powered base stations in rural areas.

The base stations will primarily run on solar power, with diesel generators providing a backup source of energy. Grameenphone said the hybrid technology will cut carbon emissions and eliminate the need for the stations to be connected to the national grid.

The operator also noted that the new base stations would help it to provide an uninterrupted telecoms service that is unaffected by the blackouts that often strike the country's power grid. Electricity outages are common in the nation, particularly during summer months when supply is diverted to farms to power irrigation technologies.

Grameenphone chief executive Oddvar Hesjedal said the deal, financial terms for which were not disclosed, also underlined the company's commitment to invest in a "green mobile network".

The company said the move was part of a wider environmental initiative that has also seen the carrier embark on a trial project to install wind turbines at select base station sites.

Grameenphone, which has about 21 million mobile phone subscribers, is a joint venture between Norwegian mobile carrier Telenor and local operator Grameen Telecom. Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus established Grameen Telecom in 1995 as a non-profit company focused on providing affordable telephony services to rural Bangladesh.

In related news, China Mobile earlier this month said it is considering installing solar-powered base stations in Pakistan, where it operates a network serving 6.5 million subscribers.

China Mobile noted that rolling power shortages are affecting nearly all areas of the South Asian country, where the operator has 4,500 base stations.

Telecom towers that run on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are seen as ideal for developing countries, where electricity supply in rural areas can be unreliable.

Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson last year also debuted a solar-powered base station in Cambodia that provides GSM and satellite transmission.