When we use our mobile phone we may check whether its battery needs a charge but it’s unlikely we consider the power requirements of the site that provides the mobile service. But for operators, power consumption of their equipment has a significant financial impact. With a looming climate crisis, there is also greater emphasis on reducing the environmental impact of providing a service.
The UK telecoms provider BT has recently taken steps to go green at one of its rural cell sites. Solar panels and a wind turbine provide renewable energy and, on dark and windless days, a generator using green fuel kicks in once the battery runs dry. Vodafone has also removed the need to connect one of its cell sites in Wales to the power grid by using locally produced renewable energy.
Hrvatski Telekom in Croatia has gone one green step further by installing a wooden cell tower. The 40 metre tower is made of processed durable, fire-resistant wood. This recyclable material has a much smaller carbon footprint than steel and has a smaller aesthetic impact on a rural landscape.
You and your colleagues can also go green by studying PTT online courses instead of travelling to a classroom-based training site. The PTT catalogue includes a wide range of courses covering the technologies that underpin telecommunications services.