MTC Namibia and Motorola today announced that they were awarded a medal for excellence in the category of "Best Use of Green Technology" from the British Computer Society (BCS) at a gala dinner in London on 6 December 2007.
The award was for the wind and solar power system trial that Motorola conducted with the GSM Association (GSMA) Development Fund on MTC Namibia`s mobile network cell site, at Dordabis village, in the Khomas region of Namibia.
The BCS IT Industry Awards is a cross-industry competition that reflects present and future trends in IT. The "Best Use of Green Technology" category focuses on projects that benefit the environment, including energy savings. By combining both wind and solar energy, Motorola`s solution ensures energy is generated in all seasons and weather conditions.
Once installed, the cost of the power generated is almost zero, as wind and solar-powered cell sites require minimal maintenance, unlike diesel-powered generators that generally require frequent visits for refuelling. This translates into both added savings in operating expenditure (OPEX) as well as significant reductions in carbon emissions.
Renewable energy sources also make it possible for network operators to deliver communications to areas previously underserved due to lack of available mains power, thereby bringing the benefits of access to emergency communications as well as information for social and educational purposes.
"It is an honour to be recognised by the BCS IT Industry Awards and we are thrilled that the trial Motorola deployed with the GSMA Development Fund and MTC Namibia is receiving such acclaim," said Ali Amer, vice-president sales, Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility. "This award recognises that renewable energy can deliver reliable, sustainable and cost-effective mobile communications to remote areas in both emerging and developed markets."
"This award recognises the truly international nature of our work and our global stature as a business. To compete against some of the leading companies from the UK, such as BT, and to come second in our category among nine other nominees is no minor feat," Albertus Aochamub, MTC General Manager of Corporate Affairs said. "This is a victory for Namibian innovation and recognition of our competitiveness as a mobile operator at the same time," he concluded.
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MTC (Mobile Telecommunications Limited) was established in 1995 as a joint venture between Namibia Post and Telecommunications Holdings (NPTH), Telia and Swedfund. During May 2004, NPTH concluded a deal that saw it hold 100% of the shares in MTC by acquiring the 49% held by Telia Overseas AB and Swedfund International AB. NPTH is 100% owned by the government of the Republic of Namibia. On 1 September 2006 the sale of 34% of MTC shares to a strategic/technical partner were concluded with Portugal Telecom which also holds the management contract. www.mtc.com.na
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