The Challenges of Co-location

Technology in
Nigeria.
Being A Technical Paper Delivered
By
SPENCER DAFE ITIVE, NSE,NIEEE, B.Eng!"on.# $ni%en, CP, PP
AT
T"E &NT"'( EETIN) &F T"E
NI)ERIAN INSTIT$TI&N &F E'ECTRICA' E'ECTR&NICS EN)INEERS,
NIEEE, *ARRI C"APTER.
AT +, AIRP&RT R&AD *ARRI, Delta State.
&N T"E
3RD SEPTEMBER, 2014.
ABSTRACT
The introduction of co-location technology as a way of mitigating at
least the challenges of deploying telecoms services in Nigeria is yet to
yield fully the expected desired results.
This is because Telecoms Operators instead of leveraging infrastructures
sharing in its full potential, have continually undermined the benefits
accrued from it.
This has left deployment of GS services huge challenges which this
paper will critically term to examine.
INTRODUCTION
Nigerians embraced the Global System for mobile communications
!GS" when it was introduced far bac# $%%&. This was because the
citi'ens have been starved of mobile communication and often thought it
was alien to them for years.
(s they bas#ed in this euphoria, the number of subscribers began to
increase but without a commensurate significant increase in
infrastructures rollout to withstand this growth level of subscribers.
Telecoms operators however, blamed the situation on government)s
negligence in building infrastructures for networ# rollout. This, the
operators complained has left them investing their hard earned profit in
infrastructures rollout such as building and installing base stations and
general operations of these sites.
*owever, the advent of colocation technology brought massive
transformation in this sector as well as provided respite for telecoms
operators. *ere, telecoms services providers routinely enter into
agreements with one another to share networ#s and other assets. These
arrangements facilitates interconnection between networ#+ satisfy
mandated asset sharing re,uired by law or regulatory authority in order
to promote competition+ and help carriers maximi'e their use of assets,
manage ris# and build business cases with improved returns on
investment.
WHAT IS COLOCATION
TECHNOLOGY ?
-olocation technology is a system that allows telecoms operators to
share some type of physical space with other operator!s" , often
competing operators. -olocation services provide significant technical
and cost advantage in managing telecoms business. The bul# of
colocation services entails collaborating to share either the active
elements !the physical networ#" or the passive elements of their base
station, which include the physical tower structure, security and diesel-
powered generating sets, amongst others.
-olocation, which is a .cost reduction model/, is the provision of space
for a customer)s telecommunications e,uipment on the service
provider)s premises. 0asically, there are two options of colocation
technology for telecoms operators1
Third party service provider, provides a site and facilities, for
instance, a tower for one or more operators to mount their
e,uipments li#e radios and antennas.
Operator to operator agreements, where an operator offers one or
more operators a space in his location 2 premises to share some
infrastructure .
The cost of sharing facilities and colocating is reasonable
compared to the cost of building one)s own infrastructure, hence a
faster return on investment and an opportunity to focus more on
core business of the companies which is providing ,uality telecom
services.
CO- LOCATION COMPANIES
The following are the list of co-location independent service providers in
Nigeria1
*elios Towers Nigeria limited, *TN+
3*S+
0asni# Telecoms+
Swap Technologies 4imited+
-apcom.
CO-LOCATION CHALLENGES
*igh operational costs in the Nigeria 5nvironment due to poor
availability of power. 6oor grid availability ma#es investments in
transformers and grid connection non-economical.
4ac# of good ,uality diesel.
4ac# of timely delivery of diesel to site due to activities of
miscreants on sites.
4ac# of proper operational template for sites.
Security.
4ac# of ade,uate implementation of the regulation and legislation
by the governing body.
4ac# of patronage by some operators.
ultiple taxation fees and levies, prohibitive charges to procure
right of way.
(ctivities of *ost communities.
*igh -(657.
8andali'ation.
9ear of sabotage from perceived competitors.
SHARED INFRASTRUCTURES
Generating sets.
Transformers !6*-N".
Shelter space.
Security personnels.
Security2guard hut.
(ir conditioners !in case of indoor".
:ectifiers.
Towers 2mast structures.
:ac# space.
Shelter2e,uipment plinth.
;.- source.
Transmission lin# - cables, fibres , etc
5arthing protection system.
(ccess road.
Site space.
Gantries.
Networ# operating centre, NO-.
aintenance personnels.
Telemetry .
6ower 3nterface <nit, 63<.
BENEFITS OF COLOCATION
Telecoms operators can achieve up to =% percent O657 and
-(657 reduction as co-location services are efficient.
:educes proliferation of masts.
3t enhances service ,uality.
:educes noise and air pollution round sites2environment.
:educes business ris#s.
3t enhances healthy competition amongst telecoms operators
leading to reduction in call tariffs.
3ncreased entry speed for new telecoms service providers.
3t enhances customer satisfaction.
3t improves the economy.
CONCLUSION
The opportunity has now come for telecoms service providers to stop the
blame game and unnecessary battle for superiority and supremacy , and
embrace fully the co-location technology. These arrangements facilitate
interconnection of networ#s, satisfy mandated asset sharing re,uired by
law or regulatory authority in order to promote healthy competition and
improve service ,uality , and help them maximi'e their use of assets,
manage ris# and build business cases with improved returns on
investment.
REFERENCES
&. ;r. 5ugene >uwah , !$%&&" .Telecommunications business in
Nigeria1 *ow 9ar ?/
$. (lenoghena -.o and 5magbetere >.o, !&cept $%&$",@ The 0ase
Transceiver station !0TS" 6lacement 1 3ssues and optimality./
A. 8alentine (no'ia, NS5, !Sept. $%%B", . -olocation , the way to
go in Nigeria Telecoms./
C. Spencer ;afe 3tive !$%%C" ,. GS 6roblems- technical, Social and
9inancial/. <npublished 9irst ;egree dissertation presented to the
<niversity of 0enin, 0enin -ity.
D. Nicholas 5conomides, . Telecommunication regulation1 (n
3ntroduction./
=. www.businesslist.com.ng2companies2colocation.
B. Spencer ;afe 3tive !$%&$", @3nstallation and aintenance of 5-
&D%% Out door :ectifier@, ( proEect submitted to the Nigerian
Society of 5ngineers, NS5, in partial fulfilment of the re,uirement
for (dmission into the society.
F. *elios Towers Nigeria 4imited, 6rocess and Guality anuals.
T*(NHS 9O: 43ST5N3NG I
GO; 045SS JO<.