Egypt's first
integrated telecommunication provider, Egypt Telecom, and Huawei have partnered
to roll out the first eco-friendly wireless network tower made of Fibre Reinforced
Polymer (FRP).
Through this cooperation, Telecom Egypt
becomes the first operator in Africa to install this green tower. The material
used for building the tower emits less CO2 than steel, the alternative. Highly
resistant to wind and high temperatures, the tower is approximately 18m high with a special camouflage fence made of environmentally friendly materials. It
supports wireless network antennas and radio units featuring the latest
energy-saving technologies and is partially powered by solar cells.
The Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, Adel Hamed,
said that the implementation of this type of mobile site in Egypt is
unprecedented. It underscores the efforts of all those in charge of the
project and their ability to implement the entire site in a timely and
systematic manner as per the highest international green quality standards.
Hamed further explained that Telecom Egypt’s green sites also
feature the latest Radio Access Network technologies, such as radio units
optimized to offer top performance with 40% less energy consumption than
traditional sites.
These new technologies also contribute to improving the
signal quality by about 20%, compared to regular antennas, this means that
fewer base stations need to be installed resulting in a lower environmental
footprint and an additional step towards environmental sustainability, Hamed
added.
Jim Liu, CEO of Huawei Egypt confirmed that the company is
focused on developing the infrastructure of Information and Communication
Technology in Egypt. That is why Huawei has joined hands with Telecom Egypt,
one of the largest telecommunications companies in Egypt and the Middle East.
Liu added that Huawei is keen to provide suites of innovative
technologies to save energy to build a sustainable low-carbon future.
He also pointed out that recent studies show that FRP poles produce 43% less
carbon dioxide emissions, compared to steel, and also reduce end-to-end energy
consumption by nearly half during manufacturing and shipping.
Liu also explained that energy solutions for green sites
depend on passive cooling, which eliminates the need for air conditioning and
thus leads to a 47% reduction in energy consumption compared to sites with
equipment rooms. Finally, Liu noted that the site is fitted with solar panels providing
about 2 kilowatts, leading to an additional 20% reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions.
By: Haruna Baako
