Techno-Economic Analysis of Green and Sustainable Infrastructure Sharing in Mobile Communication Systems

Abstract

Due to the proliferation of smart devices and traffic explosion in the wireless ecosystem, cellular network operators faced challenges of providing enormous network capacity, achieving superior coverage, and improving the user’s quality of experience. However, to meet this demand, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) need to upgrade and extend their network infrastructures to increase capacity. Network infrastructure deployment and maintenance are very expensive and require MNOs to invest heavily investment into it. MNOs deploying infrastructures to the rural area become a challenge; consequently, most of the rural areas are not connected, uncertainties in energy and power supply to the remote cellular is the main challenge to the MNOs in terms of green and sustainable in developing countries. Furthermore, the coverage and quality of services specifically in the rural areas which are regarded as non-profit areas for the MNOs. Network Infrastructure Sharing (NIS) is considered as a promising practical solution for MNOs to reduce both the Capital Expenses (CAPEX), operational expenses (OPEX) and get along with the technological changes to meet the fast-growing demands of data traffic. Aims of this research is to investigate the infrastructure sharing for MNO, the extent of mobile network coverage, optimize the utilization of scarce resources, determine the challenges facing the MNOs in providing services especially in rural areas, and customer satisfaction. Also, this study intends to identify the motivations, impacts, and challenges of infrastructure sharing in mobile communication. This research involves a mixed-methods research approach. The approach adopted for this research falls under the category of a descriptive strategy combining both quantitative and qualitative evidence from network operators. The results show that the telecommunication industry facing main challenges which include poor network coverage, high inter operators’ charges, and unreliable power supply.  Furthermore, MNOs use diesel generators to power their infrastructure leading to high running costs and environmental pollution. NIS and the usage of renewable energy (RE) by MNOs are very low