Telecommunication Infrastructure Sharing a Remedy for the Reduction of Network Operator Cost and Environmental Pollution

Nigeria is the fastest growing telecommunication market in Africa, with approximately 175 million subscribers accommodated by over 44,000 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) which are mostly concentrated in urban areas. As a result of increasing subscribers, all mobile network service providers are embarking in building up new BTS without considering existing infrastructure leading to an excess proliferation of masts, defacing of the environment and unnecessary environmental pollution as a result of BTS being powered by diesel generator sets. It is becoming paramount for the telecommunication regulatory body in Nigeria to enforce principles of infrastructure sharing and co-location of sites on all mobile network service providers, in order to improve on network availability, reliability, network expansion, customer satisfaction and sustainability. The paper argues that infrastructure sharing, and co-location of sites will therefore help in the reduction of operational and capital expenditure, call tariff, proliferation of masts and environmental pollution.