Many of the energy-saving measures that are expected to be franchised by the end of
Briefly stated:
Zain is implementing are available with the 2008.
Nokia Siemens Networks energy-efficient “Revenue-sharing with these local entre-
•
Nigeria is seeing about
Flexi BTS platform. Site-level energy con- preneurs is based on the call records from
one million new users per
sumption can be reduced by using shelter- each site, so maintaining BTS availability is in
month (with a current sub-
less BTSs that use natural air cooling instead their interests. With RAI, we have seen utili-
scriber base of nearly 50
of power-hungry air-conditioning. zation rise by 200 percent on 25 sites, largely
million).
Software features can be used, for exam- through better security to reduce vandalism.
ple, to reduce BTS energy consumption dur- “Community relations are a big part of our
•
In the race to satisfy
ing periods of low traffic. Such technologies activities. We want to put something back in-
subscriber demands, Zain
can reduce site-level energy consumption to the local community,” Earley concludes. ■
Nigeria is placing emphasis
by up to 70 percent, compared to solutions
on the quality of network
utilized just a few years ago.
performance.
•
Energy efficiency to
Supporting local entre-
combat rising fuel prices
preneurs
is a further focus for the
Targeting rural users is a
operator.
further priority for Zain. “Our
big drive for the next year
•
Zain Nigeria has invest-
will be to strive for 100
ed in the local community
percent coverage
by launching an innovative
by population.
Rural Acquisition Initiative
The Nokia Sie-
(RAI) to help boost entrepre-
mens Net-
neurship.
works
Community relations
“
are a big part of our activities.”
“If we double the capacity of a fully- Village Connection
loaded base station (BTS) within 24 hours, solution is an extremely
traffic grows to utilize all the extra capacity cost-effective package
and more.” that we are looking
to trial and deploy. It
Beating rising fuel prices
holds great potential to
The current year has brought a further chal- connect thousands of
lenge, one that all operators will recognize. Nigerian villages,” says
As fuel prices have skyrocketed, so have the Earley.
daily costs of running networks. According Engaging with the local
to Earley, recent diesel price hikes are cost- population is an important
ing Zain Nigeria about 100 million US dollars aspect of serving rural com-
extra in OPEX. munities. In May 2008, Zain
“We use 350 liters of diesel per minute launched its innovative Rural
to run our network. Energy efficiency is criti- Acquisition Initiative (RAI) to help
cal to us, and we are implementing every boost entrepreneurship. The scheme
conceivable technology to save energy. My franchises-out the basic maintenance
target is to reduce operational costs by 40 and security of rural BTS sites to local
percent.” “trade partners.” About 500 rural sites
Photo: Corbis
3/2008 Expanding Horizons 9
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