Ericsson deploys rural, solar-powered site with satellite transmission in Cambodia

For the first
time, Ericsson has combined a GSM base station and satellite transmission in a
solar-powered site, enabling Cambodian mobile operator Star-Cell to expand its
network coverage in remote areas. The solution offers affordable communications
for all and is based on Ericsson’s energy-optimized main-remote base-station.
    The
satellite transmission feature provides affordable mobile-network coverage in
remote areas where other transmission solutions are unavailable. This is vital
for bridging the digital divide, as about 80 percent of the Cambodian
population lives outside the main urban centers.
    The GSM
main-remote solution has a lower environmental impact than standard base
stations, consuming up to 50 percent less energy, and helps lower total cost of
ownership by reducing operating costs.
    Star-Cell
has selected Ericsson’s solution to expand network coverage and introduce
EDGE-based applications to enable mobile health and educational services for
rural communities.
    Denis
Ryabtsev, Chief Marketing Officer at Star-Cell, says: “Ericsson’s
solar-powered site with satellite transmission will make a significant
difference. It enables us to expand cost-effectively into rural areas, connect
people for the first time, and offer affordable services that improve quality
of life.”
    Hans
Karlsson, President of Ericsson Thailand
and Indochina, says: “This marks an important milestone and we are proud
to implement the first solar-powered solution in Cambodia. This move highlights our
technical leadership, our commitment to sustainable development, and our vision
of providing communication for all.”
    This
deployment follows a series of initiatives from Ericsson to optimize the energy
efficiency of mobile networks by creating solutions that reduce environmental
impacts and lower operator costs. These initiatives include: BTS Power Savings
features that put a network in stand-by mode during off-peak hours and saves up
to 15 percent of the network access energy consumption; the innovative site
concept Ericsson Tower Tube; biofuel-powered telecom sites; a hybrid solution using
diesel and batteries that cuts network operating costs by up to 50 percent; and
the Solar Village Charger, co-developed with Sony Ericsson. Ericsson delivered
its first solar-powered sites in 2000 to Maroc Telecom in Morocco, and has so far provided more than 200
sites in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Americas.

 

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