Are Solar Cell Phone Towers The Answer For Rural Areas?
Cell phone customers in remote areas from Africa to Appalachia have been undeserved for years. Is VNL’s new solar-powered transmitter the answer?
VNL, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of cell phone infrastructure, has been trying for years to figure out how to serve the far-flung populations that mobile carriers know represent a huge new customer base. The issue hasn’t been the price of installing transmitter towers, but instead the cost of economically powering and supporting them them when they require placement in areas that aren’t on the current power grid. To nmake things more complicated, amny of these areas don’t have trained engineers nearby, and frequently lack the roads to easily facilitate their construction.
GSM phone service is one of the most power and technology-intensive methods of communication available, and yet it’s crucial to safety and development of rural communities. Now VNL thinks they’ve found the answer: solar power.
How Does Solar Fix These Problems?
The entire GSM system has been re-engineered to a new standard called WorldGSM, and it requires less than half of the energy required by a standard transmitter. With that sort of savings, VNL was able to explore alternative fuels and battery packs, ultimately deciding that solar offered them the most utility. This includes a rural-optimized (and solar) switching center and base controller, meaning the entire system has been redesigned to be robust enough for rural conditions. The best part? Solar power and the optimization process have virtually eliminated the need for engineers to visit the installations, potentially saving over 2 million gallons of diesel fuel in India alone.
Have Ox, Will Travel
The optimized WorldGSM technology has already been hailed as “revolutionary” by mobile providers inside India. It’s so light and easy to transport that VNL has announced that the transmitter will fit in two ox carts for transport. The system can also be assembled by laymen, a smart distribution strategy for a rural technology. It’s also interoperable with equipment from different carriers, and is projected to open up the next billion mobile phone customers. VNL has the potential to dramatically improve the prospects of isolated communities in a world economy — sustainably.
More Reading
First Commercial Solar-Powered GSM System (MarketWatch)
Cell Phones Vital In Developing World (Washington Post)
Enter your email address:
Comment by Uncle B on 25 August 2008:
Slowly but surely we work our way into the 21st Century, and what a glorious time it is! We stepped off of the farms and into the 20th century with a mechanical/industrial steam and gasoline base. In the 21st Century the pn junction rules. Electronics leads the way to our new future. Our schools should be advised of this, lest we end up buying developments from other nations like India and China due to our negligence of this education.
Comment by Uncle B on 25 August 2008:
Slowly but surely we work our way into the 21st Century, and what a glorious time it is! We stepped off of the farms and into the 20th century with a mechanical/industrial steam and gasoline base. In the 21st Century the pn junction rules. Electronics leads the way to our new future. Our schools should be advised of this, lest we end up buying developments from other nations like India and China due to our negligence of this education.
Comment by Uncle B on 25 August 2008:
Slowly but surely we work our way into the 21st Century, and what a glorious time it is! We stepped off of the farms and into the 20th century with a mechanical/industrial steam and gasoline base. In the 21st Century the pn junction rules. Electronics leads the way to our new future. Our schools should be advised of this, lest we end up buying developments from other nations like India and China due to our negligence of this education.
Comment by Uncle B on 25 August 2008:
Slowly but surely we work our way into the 21st Century, and what a glorious time it is! We stepped off of the farms and into the 20th century with a mechanical/industrial steam and gasoline base. In the 21st Century the pn junction rules. Electronics leads the way to our new future. Our schools should be advised of this, lest we end up buying developments from other nations like India and China due to our negligence of this education.
Comment by iPhone news on 24 September 2008:
great idea. why not use the free energy the sun creates?
Comment by iPhone news on 24 September 2008:
great idea. why not use the free energy the sun creates?
Comment by iPhone news on 24 September 2008:
great idea. why not use the free energy the sun creates?
Comment by iPhone news on 24 September 2008:
great idea. why not use the free energy the sun creates?
Comment by Total Solar Energy on 24 September 2008:
well, i've been harping on about solar power for ages now. it can literally be a life-saver in remote communities around the world
Comment by Total Solar Energy on 24 September 2008:
well, i've been harping on about solar power for ages now. it can literally be a life-saver in remote communities around the world
Comment by Total Solar Energy on 24 September 2008:
well, i've been harping on about solar power for ages now. it can literally be a life-saver in remote communities around the world
Comment by Total Solar Energy on 24 September 2008:
well, i've been harping on about solar power for ages now. it can literally be a life-saver in remote communities around the world
Comment by Total Solar Energy on 12 November 2008:
yes, with a billion people opening up to the new technologies in India, we have to look for green alternatives where we can. more pollution is simply unacceptable
Comment by Total Solar Energy on 12 November 2008:
yes, with a billion people opening up to the new technologies in India, we have to look for green alternatives where we can. more pollution is simply unacceptable
Comment by Total Solar Energy on 12 November 2008:
yes, with a billion people opening up to the new technologies in India, we have to look for green alternatives where we can. more pollution is simply unacceptable
Comment by Total Solar Energy on 12 November 2008:
yes, with a billion people opening up to the new technologies in India, we have to look for green alternatives where we can. more pollution is simply unacceptable
Comment by Michel Elliptical on 15 November 2008:
I think that our future is about utilizing these alternative sources of energy.
Comment by Michel Elliptical on 15 November 2008:
I think that our future is about utilizing these alternative sources of energy.
Comment by Michel Elliptical on 15 November 2008:
I think that our future is about utilizing these alternative sources of energy.
Comment by Michel Elliptical on 15 November 2008:
I think that our future is about utilizing these alternative sources of energy.
Comment by michael york on 19 December 2008:
If you want a free, objective way to check the reception in your area BEFORE you lock yourself with a specific carrier, you should really check out “Got Reception?” (http://www.gotreception.com).
Comment by michael york on 19 December 2008:
If you want a free, objective way to check the reception in your area BEFORE you lock yourself with a specific carrier, you should really check out “Got Reception?” (http://www.gotreception.com).
Comment by michael york on 19 December 2008:
If you want a free, objective way to check the reception in your area BEFORE you lock yourself with a specific carrier, you should really check out “Got Reception?” (http://www.gotreception.com).
Comment by michael york on 19 December 2008:
If you want a free, objective way to check the reception in your area BEFORE you lock yourself with a specific carrier, you should really check out “Got Reception?” (http://www.gotreception.com).