The process of deploying green technologies in the telecom space has been put on the fast track.
Prior to this, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had, in April 2011, released its recommendations on the ?Approach towards Green Telecommunications?.
Broadly, the regulator has suggested that at least 50 per cent of all rural towers and 20 per cent of urban towers are to be powered by hybrid power by 2015. Further, operators are to ensure that the total power consumption of each base transceiver station does not exceed 500 W by 2020 and should aim at setting carbon emission reduction targets for mobile networks at 5 per cent by 2012-13, 8 per cent by 2014-15, 12 per cent by 2016-17 and 17 per cent by 2018-19.
Soon, thereafter, its proposals hit a roadblock. Industry bodies expressed their concerns on the deadline suggested by the regulator to deploy hybrid power sources at tower sites.
The argument was that the deadline was unrealistic. Further, the industry bodies opined that the formula used for measuring reduction in carbon emission was flawed.
Now, as per news reports, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked the industry bodies to present their views on how the regulations ought to be implemented.
