Solar energy has since long been harnessed for its non-exhaustive properties as an alternative to fuels which are getting depleted from the earth. This energy is now being used by Pakistan’s leading telecom service providing company ‘Telenor’ to power one of its repeater sites.
This is the first instance where a commercial site is being powered by solar energy. The repeater is basically a tool that picks up, amplifies and transmits cell phone signals to the nearest receptive base station. The repeater sites are setup in areas which are remote and therefore have limited connectivity. Telenor’s repeater site at Buner works on a solar-electricity hybrid system which means it works on solar energy at the day time while at night it uses power from batteries or electricity to function. This eco-friendly option is relatively less costly as it is a one time investment and is low on maintenance. Telenor now plans to set up these solar energy powered equipments at more of its repeater sites which it requires being a fast growing network provider. Chief Technical Officer Telenor Pakistan Peter Anthony Dindial said,
“We are first in the industry to have started using solar energy to power a commercial site. We aim to help reduce the load on the national power grid through innovative solutions and in longer term we mean to upscale this pilot project to other parts of the country after assessing its success”
