When a community gets access to reliable communications it often becomes the tipping point for economic and social development. But in underdeveloped communities where a reliable electricity grid is not possible, the most common source of power is a diesel generator — which, as a non-renewable fossil fuel, is far from an ideal environmental choice. It’s also very expensive — as much as two-thirds of a wireless network’s total cost, as reported by some communities in Africa.
To combat this trend, Alcatel-Lucent has begun launching alternative energy projects for wireless networks. In 2008, a solar-powered wireless base station in Dagadji, Cote d’Ivoire, spurred, in one year, a threefold rise in the local population as people from surrounding areas resettled to take advantage of improved social and economic opportunities.
Alternative energy concerns are not just for developing nations. Studies show that while there are efforts to make wireless networks more efficient they’re losing pace to the rising cost of electricity consumption. To combat this losing battle, Alcatel-Lucent has launched an Alternative Energy Program with the stated goal of meeting worldwide demand for 100,000 alternative energy-powered base stations by 2012.
You can see much of Alcatel-Lucent’s efforts at its lab in Villarceaux, France, where a wireless base station is powered by solar panels and wind turbines. The lab is also dedicated to researching other alternative energy sources such as fuel cells and biofuels.
For more on Alcatel-Lucent’s efforts, read Eco-sustainable Wireless Networks: Ready for Prime Time (PDF) and please visit Alcatel-Lucent’s Caring for the Environment web site.
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