Feb. 25, 2009 - Ericsson is aiming to tap the potentially huge cellphone market in rural Africa, deploying more than 100 solar-powered base stations in remote parts of the continent.

Orange Guinea Conakry, a local carrier, will build the base stations according to Ericsson's energy-efficient BTS 2111 model, which is designed to operate in remote areas. The base station contains no active moving parts (such as cooling fans), reducing energy consumption up to 50%, according to Ericcson. The site is fully powered by solar energy, supported by batteries for nighttime operation.

Orange's new base stations will feature another twist: Each will replace one diesel generator with a bank of hybrid diesel-batteries designed by Ericcson to handle a large amount of charging and discharging. If calibrated to meet the batteries' optimal charging and discharging levels, this power solution can cut energy-related costs by another 50%, Ericsson says.

"Reaching the next billion subscribers means expanding to rural off-grid areas," according to Ericsson. "[There are] attractive business cases for using renewable solutions all around the world."

In October, Ericsson unveiled blueprints for a wind-powered version of its energy-efficient Tower Tube radio base station. The company was first to deploy solar power in telecom, back in 2000.