HARARE - ECONET Wireless says it is investing in alternative and eco-friendly sources of energy as a way to circumvent frequent power outages that have affected service delivery, while also ensuring a cleaner environment.
The new thrust will see Econet, which is Zimbabwes largest telecoms operator, expand its investment in renewable energy and cut back reliance on traditional power sources, said the firms chief executive officer Douglas Mboweni. Power cuts remain the biggest cause of poor network performance, as the loss of power to a base station has a chain reaction across the network. As a result, customers face connection failures and dropped calls.
Econet has invested heavily in diesel-powered generators as backup during power outages but Mboweni said these were not a sustainable alternative. He said: It is not always possible to have generators at every site, and to run them for extended periods of time. As a result, outages have caused great inconvenience for customers.
But we are not folding our hands and retreating. We have a responsibility to our customers, and what we are doing is investing more in a future of alternative, less expensive, more eco-friendly energy. The telecoms firm plans to build more solar-powered base stations built, while introducing more eco-friendly products for its clients.
Post published in: Economy