KOLKATA: Telecom Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) is in "advanced talks" with West Asian carriers Saudi Telecom and OmanTel to supply green energy solutions for powering their tower networks, and in turn, optimise costs, a top company executive with direct knowledge said.
The projects will be executed on a turnkey basis by TCIL's offshore joint venture, TCIL Saudi Communications Ltd (TSCL), in which the state-run telco is the majority stakeholder.
"TCIL plans to help Saudi Telecom and OmanTel choose the best hybrid power solutions, involving a combination of renewable energy and grid power to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions in those markets," said TCIL chairman & managing director Vimal Wakhlu, adding that similar green energy initiatives were also in the offing in key African markets.
Wakhlu did not elaborate on the business model, but executives familiar with the discussions said the state-owned TCIL would supply renewable energy solutions, involving a mix of solar, wind or biomass, to power Saudi Telecom and OmanTel's tower sites, in return for a share of their consequent "energy cost savings".
Wakhlu added that as a turnkey supplier, TCIL would not only help both West Asian telcos build environmentally friendly mobile towers, it also planned to handle the entire chain "of vendor selection, equipment procurement, commissioning, maintenance and systems integration", acknowledging that "high diesel costs associated with telecom operations remained a major challenge" for telcos worldwide.
The latest green energy initiatives in Middle East would be in addition to the clutch of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) ventures that TCIL is executing in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait.
Since TCIL is already a lead player in developing the Pan-African e-Network that enables projects relating to e-education, e-health, telemedicine and e-governance, it plans leverage its existing relationships with African telcos to also supply green energy solutions for their tower sites shortly, said Wakhlu.
The Pan-African e-network currently encompasses Botswana, Burundi, Cote d' Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Uganda and Zambia. The company's green energy overtures come at a time when the telecom department is exploring a divestment of government equity in TCIL, and its subsequent listing, to generate funds for the telco to meet its capex plans. TCIL operates in 58 countries and has been cash-strapped since DoT had shot down its plans to sell its 30% stake in Bharti Hexacom about two years ago.
: Telecom Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) is in "advanced talks" with West Asian carriers Saudi Telecom and OmanTel to supply green energy solutions for powering their tower networks, and in turn, optimise costs, a top company executive with direct knowledge said.
The projects will be executed on a turnkey basis by TCIL's offshore joint venture, TCIL Saudi Communications Ltd (TSCL), in which the state-run telco is the majority stakeholder.
"TCIL plans to help Saudi Telecom and OmanTel choose the best hybrid power solutions, involving a combination of renewable energy and grid power to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions in those markets," said TCIL chairman & managing director Vimal Wakhlu, adding that similar green energy initiatives were also in the offing in key African markets.
Wakhlu did not elaborate on the business model, but executives familiar with the discussions said the state-owned TCIL would supply renewable energy solutions, involving a mix of solar, wind or biomass, to power Saudi Telecom and OmanTel's tower sites, in return for a share of their consequent "energy cost savings".
Wakhlu added that as a turnkey supplier, TCIL would not only help both West Asian telcos build environmentally friendly mobile towers, it also planned to handle the entire chain "of vendor selection, equipment procurement, commissioning, maintenance and systems integration", acknowledging that "high diesel costs associated with
telecom operations remained a major challenge" for telcos worldwide.
The latest green energy initiatives in Middle East would be in addition to the clutch of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) ventures that TCIL is executing in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait.
Since TCIL is already a lead player in developing the Pan-African e-Network that enables projects relating to e-education, e-health, telemedicine and e-governance, it plans leverage its existing relationships with African telcos to also supply green energy solutions for their tower sites shortly, said Wakhlu. The Pan-African
e-network currently encompasses Botswana, Burundi, Cote d' Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Uganda and Zambia.
The company's green energy overtures come at a time when the telecom department is exploring a divestment of government equity in TCIL, and its subsequent listing, to generate funds for the telco to meet its capex plans. TCIL operates in 58 countries and has been cash-strapped since DoT had shot down its plans to sell its 30% stake in Bharti Hexacom about two years ago.
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TCIL to supply "green towers" to Saudi Telecom, OmanTel - The Economic Times
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The projects will be executed on a turnkey basis by TCIL's offshore joint venture, TCIL Saudi Communications Ltd (TSCL), in which the state-run telco is the majority stakeholder.
"TCIL plans to help Saudi Telecom and OmanTel choose the best hybrid power solutions, involving a combination of renewable energy and grid power to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions in those markets," said TCIL chairman & managing director Vimal Wakhlu, adding that similar green energy initiatives were also in the offing in key African markets.
Wakhlu did not elaborate on the business model, but executives familiar with the discussions said the state-owned TCIL would supply renewable energy solutions, involving a mix of solar, wind or biomass, to power Saudi Telecom and OmanTel's tower sites, in return for a share of their consequent "energy cost savings".
Wakhlu added that as a turnkey supplier, TCIL would not only help both West Asian telcos build environmentally friendly mobile towers, it also planned to handle the entire chain "of vendor selection, equipment procurement, commissioning, maintenance and systems integration", acknowledging that "high diesel costs associated with telecom operations remained a major challenge" for telcos worldwide.
The latest green energy initiatives in Middle East would be in addition to the clutch of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) ventures that TCIL is executing in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait.
Since TCIL is already a lead player in developing the Pan-African e-Network that enables projects relating to e-education, e-health, telemedicine and e-governance, it plans leverage its existing relationships with African telcos to also supply green energy solutions for their tower sites shortly, said Wakhlu.
The Pan-African e-network currently encompasses Botswana, Burundi, Cote d' Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Uganda and Zambia. The company's green energy overtures come at a time when the telecom department is exploring a divestment of government equity in TCIL, and its subsequent listing, to generate funds for the telco to meet its capex plans. TCIL operates in 58 countries and has been cash-strapped since DoT had shot down its plans to sell its 30% stake in Bharti Hexacom about two years ago.
: Telecom Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) is in "advanced talks" with West Asian carriers Saudi Telecom and OmanTel to supply green energy solutions for powering their tower networks, and in turn, optimise costs, a top company executive with direct knowledge said.
The projects will be executed on a turnkey basis by TCIL's offshore joint venture, TCIL Saudi Communications Ltd (TSCL), in which the state-run telco is the majority stakeholder.
"TCIL plans to help Saudi Telecom and OmanTel choose the best hybrid power solutions, involving a combination of renewable energy and grid power to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions in those markets," said TCIL chairman & managing director Vimal Wakhlu, adding that similar green energy initiatives were also in the offing in key African markets.
Wakhlu did not elaborate on the business model, but executives familiar with the discussions said the state-owned TCIL would supply renewable energy solutions, involving a mix of solar, wind or biomass, to power Saudi Telecom and OmanTel's tower sites, in return for a share of their consequent "energy cost savings".
Wakhlu added that as a turnkey supplier, TCIL would not only help both West Asian telcos build environmentally friendly mobile towers, it also planned to handle the entire chain "of vendor selection, equipment procurement, commissioning, maintenance and systems integration", acknowledging that "high diesel costs associated with
telecom operations remained a major challenge" for telcos worldwide.
The latest green energy initiatives in Middle East would be in addition to the clutch of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) ventures that TCIL is executing in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait.
Since TCIL is already a lead player in developing the Pan-African e-Network that enables projects relating to e-education, e-health, telemedicine and e-governance, it plans leverage its existing relationships with African telcos to also supply green energy solutions for their tower sites shortly, said Wakhlu. The Pan-African
e-network currently encompasses Botswana, Burundi, Cote d' Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Uganda and Zambia.
The company's green energy overtures come at a time when the telecom department is exploring a divestment of government equity in TCIL, and its subsequent listing, to generate funds for the telco to meet its capex plans. TCIL operates in 58 countries and has been cash-strapped since DoT had shot down its plans to sell its 30% stake in Bharti Hexacom about two years ago.
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TCIL to supply "green towers" to Saudi Telecom, OmanTel - The Economic Times
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