Green Power to Bring Mobile Telephony to Billions of People
STOCKHOLM, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
By 2013, Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC), the world's leading provider of
telecommunications equipment and services, anticipates that there will be
some 6.5 billion mobile phone subscriptions in the world, compared to today's
3.7 billion. About 90 percent of growth is expected to come from developing
markets where more than half of the population lives outside city limits. To
build mobile networks in rural areas with no or unreliable power grid means
that the power challenge must be solved.
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As mobile telephony reaches billions of new subscribers, areas in the
world that have never had access to communication services will soon be part
of the connected society. Having reliable access to cost-effective energy
supplies has long been a stumbling block for telecom operators seeking to
offer services outside major population centers. Building out electricity
grids has not only been prohibitive from a cost perspective, but often
impossible due to geographic and environmental constraints.
Ericsson, whose technology has already provided billions of people with
mobile telephony, is meeting this challenge with a combination of
energy-efficient products and emphasis on network energy optimization. This
supports telecom operators to develop and deliver affordable and sustainable
communications services to the emerging markets in a way that makes business
profitable for the operators.
Wind power is one example of an alternative energy resource for powering
mobile networks located beyond the electricity grid. In 2007, Ericsson
implemented biofuel as an alternative energy resource, and in 2000 Ericsson
was the first telecom player to deploy a solar solution to power a Moroccan
operator's mobile network.
"Being at the forefront of innovation is crucial for Ericsson to stay in
its leading market position," says Ulf Ewaldsson, Vice President and Head of
Product Area Radio at Ericsson. "I am, of course, proud to be part of a
company that is behind technologies like Bluetooth, setting the standard for
mobile technology GSM that half of the world's population are using to make
phone calls, as well as leading the development of the fourth generation of
mobile communication. But one must also have in mind how to run mobile
networks so that all of us can have access to communication services, no
matter whether you live in a big developed city or in a remote village in a
country with poor infrastructure."
As energy-related expenditures, including cost for diesel, can be as high
as 50 percent of total network operating costs in some markets, the next step
after getting infrastructure in place is to ensure cost-efficient day-to-day
operations.
"One example of what we have done to be able to offer mobile telephony to
the billions of people living outside city limits, is the introduction of a
unique hybrid solution where we use submarine batteries that can be recharged
over and over again to power a mobile network," Ewaldsson says. "This
solution saves approximately 10 000 liters of diesel per radio site per year,
which is 40 to 50 percent of the diesel needed. This adds up to large
quantities of fuel that can be saved in a mobile network with hundreds or
thousands of diesel powered radio sites."
Developing green solutions to build and power mobile networks holds the
key to reaching billions of people that have never had access to
communication services. And the benefits of green solutions are twofold - not
only does this mean telecom operators can build and operate mobile networks
cost efficiently, the environment is also a winner as less fossil fuel is
needed to run the mobile networks.
Notes to editors:
Still photos on alternative energy sources:
Ericsson's standard multimedia content is available at the broadcast
Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to
telecom operators. The market leader in 2G and 3G mobile technologies,
Ericsson supplies communications services and manages networks that serve
more than 195 million subscribers. The company's portfolio comprises mobile
and fixed network infrastructure, and broadband and multimedia solutions for
operators, enterprises and developers. The Sony Ericsson joint venture
provides consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.
Ericsson is advancing its vision of 'communication for all' through
innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175
countries, more than 70,000 employees generated revenue of USD 27.9 billion
(SEK 188 billion) in 2007. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Stockholm,
Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm and NASDAQ.
SOURCE: Ericsson
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