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This week, the Irish Commission For Communications Regulation (ComReg) has ordered mobile Eir’s owner Eircom to pay a fine of almost €2.5 million for overcharging its customers.
The news follows a series of investigations by the regulator, spanning the period between 2015 and 2021, which found that an estimated 76,000 customers had been overcharged.
The ruling called for Eir to issue refunds to all affected customers, with the regulator estimating that Eir had made around €6.7 million in revenue through overcharging during the six-year period. If all of these refunds are issued, each affected customer would be entitled to roughly €88.
Eircom said that the overcharging was a result of a “broken bundle” on customers’ accounts and said they would implement “backward-looking measures” to identify the affected customers. However, they emphasised that issuing the refunds could be a lengthy process.
“[We have] already commenced a review process of an agreed cohort to identify any unresolved instances of incorrect charging and will ensure any such customers are reimbursed as soon as possible,” said the company in a statement. “Eir apologises unreservedly to any customer who we identify as part of the review, as having been inadvertently charged incorrectly and has committed to actively processing any refunds that may be identified.”
As well as looking backwards, Eir said they would also implement a number of system updates over the rest of the year, including a new billing system, to ensure that these mistakes did not happen again.
These measures will include the company “proactively reviewing credits and disputes that could identify potential billing issues not already addressed”.
An independent auditor has been appointed to ensure that all agreed measures are completed by the end of the year.
This is not the first time that Eir has faced ComReg’s wrath in recent years. In 2018, the company was stung by a €3 million fine after a settling a case that alleged the company had given illegal preferential treatment to its own retail division when it came to granting access and repairing lines.
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Also in the news:
Wind Tre carves out network assets, sells majority stake to EQT
Rakuten Mobile and KDDI strike roaming agreement
CMA gives Viasat the thumbs up to acquire Inmarsat
In a bit of consolidation news earlier this week, the cable operator Cox Communications announced plans to put its metro and regional fiber investments under one roof. To do that they will be acquiring that part of Unite Private Networks they don’t already own. … [visit site to read more]
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It’s no surprise that telecoms operators around the world are prioritising sustainability initiatives. The GSMA estimates that they account for up to 3% of the total global energy demand, and estimates that this number will increase further despite the savings in energy consumption that the new 5G radio standard brings. Multiple new mobile stations will be needed to meet the expected exponential growth in data traffic from 5G connected devices, as well as the growing demands of edge capacity for high-performing services.
Telcos are also under pressure to comply with stringent laws and regulations. For example, the EU requires listed companies with more than 500 employees to comply with the new Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) based on a unified Green Classification System called “EU Taxonomy”.
However, whilst there’s plenty of pressure on telco operators, there is also positive news, as these organisations have already made significant strides in tackling their energy consumption; the industry was an early adopter of solar energy and today telcos are looking to expand their adoption of renewables (wind energy, solar PV, and lithium battery storage) to deliver a resilient, reliable, and more sustainable energy supply.
The industry should certainly be commended for these efforts, but there is still plenty of work to be done. So, with a growing impetus to ‘get sustainability right’ and to do it quickly, what near and longer-term strategies can telcos deploy to help boost energy efficiency and make more strides in achieving sustainability?
Be honest and open about your intentions and capabilities
Whilst much of this article will tackle the technological innovations which operators can implement to drive their sustainability credentials, it is important to first look at the promises telcos make and the green messages they send into the market. Specifically, it is vital to avoid the temptation to indulge in ‘greenwashing’.
The greener or more sustainable a brand is, the more likely it will be able to attract customers and maintain a higher price in comparison to competitors. Simply put, companies want to buy from responsible vendors.
But while it’s tempting to hype your green credentials, operators must be careful with overpromises or worse, claims that are not true. Disingenuous messages are likely to be spotted by consumers and watchdog organisations and can cause a negative impact on a brand’s reputation.
This same honesty is vital in attracting and retaining staff. Integrating sustainability initiatives into the day-to-day business strategies and honest communication around challenges and achievements will help operators to secure the talent they need for future success.
Transition to high efficiency rectifiers
Away from the marketing messages, there are a number of immediate practical steps operators can take to reduce the power they use, shrink their electric bills and support the transition to a more sustainable future.
One of the most obvious routes to a greener future is to simply transition to high efficiency rectifiers in the DC power systems present at every access site. Replacing legacy DC power systems with newer, high efficiency models can improve energy efficiency by up to 6%.
What’s more, modern equipment frequently includes energy saving modes and features that are all too often ignored. Today’s DC power systems, for example, are more intelligent and capable of more advanced energy management than legacy systems, but in many instances, operators don’t harness those functions, favouring static operation. We urge operators to make the most of these systems’ capabilities and reap immediate energy saving benefits.
Align energy strategies to your access site
When you consider geographies, climate, grid reliability, water availability, governmental regulations and countless other factors around the globe, it becomes clear that no single strategy is appropriate for every access site.
Energy and carbon management strategies must be linked to planning and real estate, and operators must tailor their approach to the conditions across their networks. For example, hybrid energy systems leveraging solar power to supplement unreliable or overtaxed grids are more commonplace in much of Africa, South America, the Middle East, and parts of Asia than in the US where grid service is usually reliable and affordable.
Use intelligent controls to manage the load
Today, thanks to the latest innovations in technology development, comprehensive real-time monitoring of AC and DC power network infrastructure is possible.
Intelligent controllers are available with advanced load management functionalities that enable telcos to visualise potential hotspots, power performance, and distribution inefficiencies in order to optimise the DC power supply, maximise use of cooling, and avoid overload.
By proactively managing the load, operators can identify the location and power profile of every rack at a given site. This ability to map the site’s power distribution and thermal output enables operators to move the load from one rack to another to improve airflow and optimise thermal management. With effective load management tools, high availability can be achieved whilst improving energy efficiencies and saving costs.
Embrace long term strategies
So, it is positive news that there’s already good work being done by telcos around the world in the field of energy management. Other internal sustainability initiatives, such as reuse and recycling equipment and reducing water consumption in factories and offices, are also underway – and are succeeding not only on having a positive impact on the environment but also bring cost savings too.
Progress is happening all the time. Innovations to look at closely include new and emerging battery technologies like sodium-ion that may present additional opportunities for off-grid operation and energy management. And, as on- and off-grid power management becomes more sophisticated, we could see networks evolving into microgrids that generate and share their own power across the network and with the utility.
Although many of these technologies are not viable alternatives in the access network today, we are confident this innovative industry will continue to drive progress – powering a more efficient future for the sector.
Want to hear more from David and the Vertiv team on the topic of sustainability? Join them as they discuss energy efficient cable landing stations at this year’s Submarine Networks EMEA event
Also in the news:
Wind Tre carves out network assets, sells majority stake to EQT
Rakuten Mobile and KDDI strike roaming agreement
CMA gives Viasat the thumbs up to acquire Inmarsat
Several interesting bits of fiber news from around the globe: … [visit site to read more]
EXA Infrastructure and EllaLink are teaming up for a new transatlantic service between South America and Europe. The two companies have complementary footprints, and by working together they have pieced together a diverse route between the two continents. … [visit site to read more]
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Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.
As we look towards the future and the 6G era, one of the most anticipated emerging technologies is surely Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS).
A RIS is a surface comprising arrangement of scattering elements called unit-cells, which can be controlled to change its electromagnetic behaviour. This allows the RIS to dynamically alter the way in which it reacts to wireless signals, through increased or decreased reflection, refraction, focusing, collimation, modulation, and absorption.
When strategically deployed, the adaptability of RIS will not only allow operators to increase their coverage, but also provide additional spectral efficiency, security, energy savings, and more.
RIS could also allow for a cost-effective network deployment in areas that were previously unfeasible using traditional solutions, such particularly indoors.
Now, European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has released a new report on the topic – ETSI GR RIS-001 – seeking to identify and define RIS use cases and produce related Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
The report includes 11 defined use cases for the new technology, including deployment scenarios and potential requirements for the new technology.
“In the future 5G-Advanced and 6G wireless networks, many new applications, such as in eHealth, strongly impose requirements on both the communication and sensing performance,” explained Arman Shojaeifard, Chair of the ETSI RIS group. “As an example, a RIS can reconfigure the radio environment to sense human posture and detect someone falling, a useful application for elderly care.”
Numerous operators are already exploring the potential of this latent technology. In fact, last year Orange became the first operator in Europe to demonstrate RIS in action at their Orange Research and Innovation Exhibition in Paris, France.
Also in the news:
Wind Tre carves out network assets, sells majority stake to EQT
Rakuten Mobile and KDDI strike roaming agreement
CMA gives Viasat the thumbs up to acquire Inmarsat
There is a bit of consolidation going on in the cloud ecosystem that serves the infrastructure & connectivity world. Connectbase has announced a deal to purchase LastMileXchange, a London-based provider of access pricing solutions. … [visit site to read more]
