«Kyivstar», Vodafone and lifecell have announced a joint statement regarding the requirements of the National Center for Operational and Technical Management of Telecommunications Networks (NCM) on 10-hour autonomous operation of the network during power outages.
To achieve these goals, operators need to solve a number of technical and logistical problems. In particular, it is necessary to obtain permits from regional power distribution companies to increase the capacity to charge batteries. According to the companies’ estimates, 2.8 GWh of electricity is required to ensure 10-hour daily autonomous operation of the base stations, which is comparable to the capacity of one nuclear power unit.
Operators also point to a lack of qualified specialists to maintain the new equipment. According to their estimates, tens of thousands of additional workers will need to be hired. In addition, there are restrictions on the installation of generators and batteries on the roofs of buildings where most base stations are located due to building and sanitary standards.
Resolution of the National Center of July 16 obliges operators to equip all base stations with batteries and generators by February 1, 2025. Additionally, by December 1, 2024, 25% of base stations must ensure uninterrupted operation for 72 hours.
According to industry experts, the implementation of the NCA requirements will require investments in the amount of over UAH 13 billion. Nevertheless, operators have already invested heavily in increasing the energy independence of their networks. In particular, they have invested over UAH 3 billion, renewed 370,000 batteries at base stations, and purchased 5,400 generators and other uninterruptible power supplies.
Source: Forbes
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