Kyivstar, Vodafone, and lifecell have issued a joint statement regarding the demands from the National Center for Operational and Technical Management of Telecommunications Networks (NTSU) for a 10-hour autonomous operation of the network during power outages.
To achieve these objectives, operators must resolve several technical and logistical challenges. Specifically, this involves obtaining permits from regional energy companies to increase capacity for charging batteries. According to the companies' estimates, maintaining 10 hours of autonomy for base stations requires 2.8 GWh of energy daily, which is equivalent to the output of a single nuclear power plant unit.
The operators also highlight a shortage of qualified specialists needed for the maintenance of new equipment. They estimate that tens of thousands of additional employees need to be hired. Furthermore, there are restrictions on the installation of generators and batteries on the roofs of buildings housing most base stations, due to construction and sanitary regulations.
The NTSU decree from July 16 mandates that operators equip all base stations with batteries and generators by February 1, 2025. Additionally, by December 1, 2024, 25% of base stations must ensure continuous operation for 72 hours.
Industry experts estimate that meeting the NTSU's requirements will require investments of at least over 13 billion hryvnias. Despite this, the operators have already invested substantial resources to enhance the energy independence of their networks, specifically pumping over 3 billion hryvnias into upgrading 370,000 batteries at base stations and acquiring 5,400 generators and other uninterrupted power supply sources.
Source: Forbes
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