VNL

VNL at Mobile World Congress 2009 2 Mar, 2009

Contrasting the buzz about high speed data, iPhone replicas, mobile TV, convergence and various value added services, VNL’s rural telecom initiative was received as an unusual and appreciated effort at this year’s congress.

Visitor numbers were notably lower than last year, likely due to the impact of the current global recession and the followed layoffs and operational reductions among mobile operators and vendors alike.

With a looming energy crisis around the corner – slightly curbed by recently lowered fuel prices but still on the center stage – it’s evident that mobile operators take energy consumption reduction efforts seriously. Many vendors were showcasing alternative power solutions, and new innovations in energy efficiency.

Bergey Windpower stood out as a prominent inventor within wind power solutions. And PowerOasis have created an innovative power management system – well suited for mobile operators that are looking at retro-fitting existing installations with renewable energy alternatives.

VNL’s booth at MWC 2009

As far as the rural telecom space goes, VNL generated quite a bit of buzz by showcasing WorldGSM™ for the first time. Seeing the prominently located Village Site for the first time, some visitors thought we were solar panel vendors. As a regular reader of this blog, you know that this is far from the truth. The Village Site is a breakthrough in telecom innovation – the smallest, most energy efficient GSM base station ever built. So simple to deploy that local workers can install it in just six hours.

Visitors reacted very positively to the fact that WorldGSM™ is a complete GSM system – not just a conventional base station retrofitted with solar panels. And that it doesn’t compare with conventional GSM equipment but is entirely designed to extend existing networks – helping mobile operators expand their reach beyond what’s possible today.

Many were also pleasantly surprised to hear that a Village Site only needs about 50W of power – lightbulb wattage.

We’d like to thank our team and all our booth visitors, customers and partners for making VNL’s participation in MWC 2009 such a success! We look forward to interacting with all of you again at Communicasia 2009 in Singapore, 16th-19th of June.

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