The GSMA is working with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, to support mobile operators in exploring the use of renewable energy base stations as a means of optimizing capital and operating expenditures.
The goal is to assist mobile operators in developing markets to deploy large scale renewable energy powered networks. Specifically, the IFC plans to identify and pursue green power investments that expand the mobile industry’s use of renewable energy powered networks in developing countries. IFC will act independently as an anchored investor, offering developing country mobile operators a variety of financial instruments.
“We have estimated that mobile operators across the developing world will incur a US$14.6 billion diesel bill from powering off-grid base stations by 2012,” said Rob Conway, CEO and Member of the Board, GSMA. “Working together with IFC, we hope to address this by helping mobile operators to expand network coverage into remote regions, deploy renewable energy base stations, reduce their energy costs and minimize impact on the environment.”http://www.gsmworld.com
