Motorola, Inc. has deployed a wind and solar powered system to operate MTC Namibia's GSM cell site at Dordabis village in the Khomas region of Namibia. "The trial with MTC Namibia supports the African operator's strategy for increased voice and data service coverage in rural areas of Namibia and is the first of its kind globally. By incorporating renewable energy solutions into communication networks Motorola is trialling this solution as a feasible option for operators instead of utilising costly fuel generators or waiting long periods for a mains grid connection. The Dordabis cell site will remain a part of MTC Namibia's live GSM network throughout the trial. Motorola has been working with the GSM Association on this project which was announced at 3GSM Barcelona in February this year." Not only will the developing world leap frog the West by skipping land lines, they may also become more reliant on renewable, distributed energy sources in their daily lives: even though this is high tech, it's consistent with local norms. See pre-deployment TreeHugger coverage of this project here.
Via:: The Solar and Wind trial micro site. Image credit: Motorola.