A. Raja, Dr. Farooq Abdullah to address on renewable energy options for telecom sector

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The CMAI Association of India is organizing a round table for the first time in India being address by Minister of Communications & IT and Minister of New and Renewable Energy.

With an increase in telecom subscriber penetration, which now stands at over 600 million and slated to cross 800 million in the next two years, the market for telecom towers is likely to witness 17 percent pa growth between 2008-2015 with the estimated requirement of 554,000 towers by 2015.

Currently, about 2.5 billion liters of diesel is consumed by these tower each year. CMAI feels the situation is grave and will further worsen and there is an urgent need to control the diesel bill and seek renewable energy sources to at least partly replace this huge and ever growing consumption. Hence, for the first time a Telecom Association is addressing this issue.

With fossil fuel depleting fast, the renewable energy is the only alternative for mankind. The world is discussing it. Without adequate power sources in place, telecommunications cannot justify the infrastructural supports, as both are interlinked.

Development of a nation depends on telecommunication infrastructure and information catered to the people. For all that the prime necessity is adequate power supplies.

The National Round Table aims to attempt answers of these challenges. The Chief Guest in the Round Table Conference will be Hon’ble Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy, Dr Farooq Abdullah, and Hon’ble Union Minister for Communications and IT, Thiru A Raja, who will address the conference. There are a number of expert speakers on these issues, who will interact and deliberate on the challenges.