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How Tech Helped Tower Operators Curb Generators, Diesel Theft

By Chike Onwuegbuchi
01 January 2016   |   1:01 am
Some years back when Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications and code division multiple access (CDMA) operators were in control of their telecom towers there were outcries over incessant theft of generators and diesel even with security guards on duty.
PHOTO: www.africatelecomit.com

PHOTO: www.africatelecomit.com

Some years back when Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications and code division multiple access (CDMA) operators were in control of their telecom towers there were outcries over incessant theft of generators and diesel even with security guards on duty.

In 2011, GSM operators said they were losing an average of two generators daily and over a million litres of diesel to theft..

The theft at base stations and activities of miscreants that make it difficult to access towers to carry out maintenance are part of the reasons why operators decided to hands off the ownership of towers and sold them to telecom infrastructure providers.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigations revealed that immediately infrastructure providers the like of Helios Tower, IHS, ATC among others took over the ownership of these towers that they seek solution to the theft of generators and diesel, which to them if allowed to continue will create a hole in their revenue and make nonsense of the initiative.

They adopted a technological approach by deploying a remote monitoring solution which uses internet connectivity allows designated officers of the tower owners to monitor activities at the towers from their computer or smartphones.

A staff of one of the tower operators that spoke to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek who does not want his name on print, said: “With this remote monitoring solution that allows us to monitor activities at the towers, theft of generators and diesel have now been made insignificant.

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