Muscat - Telecom Consultants India Ltd (TCIL), an engineering and consultancy company owned by the Indian government, is in advanced talks with Omantel and Saudi Telecom to supply green energy solutions for powering their tower networks, hence optimising costs, according to reports in the Indian media.
The projects will be executed on a turnkey basis by TCIL's offshore joint venture with NATEL, TCIL Saudi Communications Ltd (TSCL).
As a turnkey supplier, TCIL will not only help both telecom companies build environmentally friendly mobile towers, but it has also planned to handle the entire chain of vendor selection, equipment procurement, commissioning, maintenance and systems integration.
According to the reports, executives familiar with the discussions said state-owned TCIL would supply renewable energy solutions, involving a mix of solar, wind or biomass, to power Omantel and Saudi Telecom's tower sites, in return for a share of their consequent energy cost savings.
"TCIL plans to help Omantel and Saudi Telecom choose the best hybrid power solutions, involving a combination of renewable energy and grid power to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions in those markets," said TCIL chairman and managing director Vimal Wakhlu, according to the reports.
An Omantel official confirmed the project when contacted by Muscat Daily.
TCIL is a leading Indian government undertaking incorporated in 1978 under the administrative control of Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology. The company is making available its vast and varied telecom expertise to friendly developing countries.
TCIL has extended its telecom consultancy and turnkey projects execution services to telecom operators, bulk users and others in India and 80 other countries in Middle East, Africa, South & South East Asia.
The company has been undertaking various projects in all fields of telecommunications and information technology and also continuously deploying new technologies in the field of telecom software, switching and transmission systems, cellular services, rural telecommunications, optical fibre-based backbone transmission systems.