Telecom regulator TRAI has sought consultations on a sustainable approach to telecommunications.
The regulator has sought views on approach for calculating the carbon footprint, and the need for appointing third party auditors of a telecom network, an official statement said.
TRAI states that with 3G becoming pervasive, the energy demand is likely to increase by two to three folds at least because data transfer would consume more energy. Further, the introduction of 4G, with a speed transfer rate 10 times higher than the 3G, will substantially increase the energy consumption patterns of the telecom sector.
The paper notes that there is a need to devise formulas suitable for calculation of carbon footprints from the grid supply and Diesel Power Generator sets.
The TRAI paper has also stressed on the need to enable an effective implementation approach for energy efficient solutions. TRAI has also called for a methodology for setting new renewable energy targets in the telecom sector and the timeframe for achieving those targets.
The TRAI statement noted that the energy efficiency is one of the directions that modern telecommunication networks need to move in. The paper suggests directions for optimising network performance in terms of energy demands.