Leading Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) operators lose N360 million every month as a result of theft of their equipment, especially generating sets, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigations can now reveal.
Further findings showed that the three operators are losing at least two sets of generators to thieves on daily bases across the country.
The operators use 1.8 KVA generators (soundproof) in their base stations at the cost of N2million each.
The development is already frustrating efforts of the operators to expand their networks and address network congestion as well as the attendant poor quality of service.
Theft of power generating set at a Base Trans-receiver Station (BTS) results in the station being cut- off from the network.
This means that the network subscribers within the coverage area of that base station will be experiencing poor service quality because the microwave equipment that transmits calls from subscriber’s mobile phone within such base station to the nearest switching centre for completion, will cease to work as a result of power outage.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that operators are worried by ineffective security at their various stations and are considering using soldiers to provide security at the stations.
The choice of soldiers, it was learnt, was informed by increased cases of attacks by armed robbers who wield sophisticated weapons, which often times had resulted to death of security men deployed at base stations.
There is concern that the number of generating sets being stolen daily is likely to increase if nothing is done to address the situation, especially as operators are increasing the number of base stations they have in an effort to improve quality of service.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can also reveal that the three GSM operators had total of 11, 900 base stations as at the end of July this year. A breakdown of this figure shows that MTN has 4,200, Glomobile: 4,100 and Zain: 3,600 with installed 23,800 generators.
GSM operators resorted to the use of generating sets because of the notoriously unreliable nature of Nigeria’s public power supply.
Mr. Bayo Ligali, chief executive officer, Zain said that apart from countries where they have witnessed wars and other major conflicts, Nigeria ranks highest among countries that have recorded rampant vandalism of telecommunications equipment in the world.