Monday 25^th August, 2008: Digicel, the fastest-growing mobile telecommunications operator in the Pacific, launched in Vanuatu at the end of June, further strengthening its footprint in the Pacific region.Digicel announced today, that it has invested US$2.9 million to power its new network with alternative power solutions, with a focus on solar and wind power.

 

Renewable energy is efficient, quiet, and non-polluting. Furthermore, it allows mobile phone coverage to be extended to remote areas where the logistical problems of refueling and maintaining generators can be insurmountable.

 

Douglas Creevey, Chief Technical Officer for Digicel, said: ‘As oil becomes more scarce and expensive, renewable energy will be used more and more to power telecommunications networks anywhere that grid power is not available. Using alternative power solutions, such as harnessing wind and solar energy, will help lower our operational expenditure and reduce our environmental impact ,giving people in the more remote islands of Vanuatu access to communications for the first time ’.

 

Working with these alternative power solutions is much more economical as the solar cells generate power directly from sunlight and the wind turbines harness the south east trade winds. The power generated is then used to power the mobile phone site. A bank of batteries provides standby power to ensure the network remains operational when it is dark, cloudy, or windless.

 

General Manager, John Delves, said ‘We are continually trying to investigate new and alternative ways of bringing people better, more accessible communications - especially to those in the most remote parts of Vanuatu’.

 

Digicel PNG is currently conducting trial tests with coconut oil to fuel site generators and the results are very promising. Digicel will be seeking to implement its own test trials in Vanuatu once those in Papua New Guinea are completed.

 

The wider Digicel Group will be monitoring these results from the implementation of alternative power solutions in Vanuatu as a model for all its other Digicel networks.

 

 

 

Since its launch in the South Pacific in November 2006, Digicel has become the fastest-growing mobile operator in the Pacific, with current operations in Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. The company was recently granted licenses by the Governments of Fiji and has commitments from several other countries in the Pacific.

 

Digicel has contributed to the 0.7% growth to the GDP[1] of Papua New Guinea since its launch as the second mobile operator on July 20, 2007.

 

Digicel is the largest operator in the Caribbean operating in 23 markets and rolling out new operations in Central America. The company is renowned for competitive rates, unbeatable coverage, and superior customer care, a wide variety of products and services, and state-of-the-art handsets.

 

Digicel is proud sponsor of several national rugby teams across the South Pacific including; Fiji Rugby, Digicel Fiji 7’s, Digicel Vanuatu Cricket team, Digicel Vanuatu Rugby 7’s and 15’s and the Digicel Pukpuks. For more information, please visit www.digicelvanuatu.com or www.digicelpacific.com.

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