The Indian telecom is all set for a greener touch with the renewed push from the regulatory body, TRAI, for the use of eco-friendly green equipment in the telecom and ICT sectors.

Like every other industry on the planet today, the global telecommunications industry is becoming conscious of the consequences of climate change. Indian telecom industry, which has been witnessing unprecedented growth for over a decade now, is also following suit by gradually shifting its focus towards sustainable and eco-friendly operations. This is where `Green Telecom' steps in.

In fact, `Going green' is now a necessity rather than an option for telecom operators, thanks to nose-diving margins due to tariff wars. With energy expenses amounting to nearly 25% of the total network operating costs, efficient power management holds the key to improving their performance. Operators are therefore exploring all possible ways to cut down its dependence on diesel and opt for greener technologies. The government also seems to be geared up to encourage a discernible change in the power usage pattern of the telecom industry.

According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) report, the Indian telecommunication sector contributes 2-2.5% to the global carbon emission. The figures are all the more alarming for the developing countries like India. Consequently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) also came up with a consultation paper on `green telecom' which offers guidance for the use of eco-friendly equipment in the ICT sector. The paper addressed critical issues like the options to reduce the carbon footprint in the telecom industry, the need for carbon credit policy for the sector, standardization of green telecom equipment and incentive for their adoption, and a framework for monitoring carbon emission and corrective action for telecom sector.

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