ISLAMABAD (July 06 2010): Telenor Pakistan has become the country's first mobile operator to complete the largest solar-powered telecommunication network established in Universal Service Fund (USF)-assisted areas. Of the 50 solar-powered cells, 47 are in the USF-assisted areas of Mirpurkhas and Bahawalpur.

The sites are providing telecommunication services to nearly 1.63 million people, who previously lacked any such access. The other three sites are in Islamabad and Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa (KP). The solar-powered cell sites are an outcome of Telenor Pakistan's Green Energy Project (TPGEP) aimed at providing environment-friendly telecommunications solutions.

Khalid Shehzad, Chief Technology Officer, Telenor Pakistan commenting on the achievement said, "We are delighted to have created the largest solar-powered cell network in the USF-assisted areas of Mirpurkhas and Bahawalpur. With the deployment of solar-powered cell sites, our aim is to provide environment-friendly telecommunication services even in the remotest areas of Pakistan to reduce power demands on the national grid, and help reduce carbon emissions. Alternative energy solutions are the way forward and we will continue to explore greener, more environment friendly solutions for our business."-PR