Lok Sabha Question No. 1927 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-09
Subject: Green Communication in ICT
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: E. T. MOHAMMED BASHEER

## MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1927 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 TH  MARCH,  2016

## GREEN COMMUNICATION IN ICT

1927. SHRI E.T. MOHAMMED BASHEER:

Will  the  Minister  of  COMMUNICATIONS  AND  INFORMATION  TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the significance of green communication in Information and Communication Technology (ICT);
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to utilise the green ICT in various sectors to gain maximum advantage from it?

## THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## ANSWER (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) & (b) Yes,  Madam.  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI),  after  due consultation, has given its recommendation dated 12.04.2011 on 'An approach towards Green  Telecom'.  TRAI  has  mentioned  in  its  recommendations  that  by  2020,  ICT  is expected  to  account  for  about  3%  of  global  CO2  emissions  worldwide  and  the  total emission  of  the  Indian  telecom  industry  is  expected  to  be  around  1%  percent  of  the country's  total  CO2  emissions.  However,  Government  has  taken  various  steps  for greening  the  sector  by  emphasizing  on  saving  of  fossil  fuels  by  use  of  Renewable Energy Technology and reduction in carbon emission.
- (c) On  the  basis  of  TRAI  recommendations,  Department  of  Telecommunications (DoT)  issued  directions  in  the  January,  2012  regarding  implementation  of  green technologies in telecom sector.  The directives, inter-alia, spelt out the following :
- (i)  75%  of  rural  towers  and  33%  of  urban  towers  are  to  be  powered  by  hybrid power (Renewable Energy Technologies (RET) + Grid Power) by 2020.
- (ii)  The  Service  Providers  have  to  ensure  that  the  total  power  consumption  of each BTS will not exceed 500W by the year 2020.
- (iii) A phased programme should be put in place by the telecom service providers to  have  their  cell  sites,  particularly  in  the  rural  areas,  powered  by  hybrid renewable  sources  including  wind  energy,  solar  energy,  fuel  cells  or  a combination thereof.
- (iv)  Based on the details of footprints declared by all service providers, service providers  should  aim  at  Carbon  Emission  reduction  targets  for  the  mobile network at 5% by the year 2012-13, 8% by the year 2014-15, 12% by the year 2016-17 and 17% by the year 2018-19.

In  order  to  examine  the  technical  feasibility  and  financial  viability  of  RET  in Telecom Sector, DoT undertook 20 RET pilot projects in Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) Phase-I sites through Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) with subsidy support from USOF and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). In addition, 400  RET  projects  were  taken  up  by  various  Telecom  Service  Providers  (TSPs)  with support from MNRE.

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