Mobile Telecommunications Ltd (MTC) intends to expand their network coverage countrywide with the objective of providing 100% population coverage to all Namibians. This initiative will result in the construction of 554 new Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) across all 14 regions of Namibia over a two-year period.
Due to the increasing demand for mobile voice and data services in Namibia, the pressure to continuously expand the mobile communications footprint is increasing. By embarking on this project, MTC will increase their national footprint which will benefit particularly the remote and rural areas. MTC will deploy new 2G, 3G and 4G sites as well as upgrading existing sites with technologies like 3G and/or 4G. In doing this, the proposed project will ensure that the quality of the service provided to the mobile users in all regions of Namibia is improved.
GCS Water Environmental Engineering (Pty) Ltd (GCS Namibia) is a fully integrated water, environmental, and earth science consulting services company based in the Republic of South Africa, with offices in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and the Czech Republic. GCS provides a professional consulting service in the fields of environmental, water and earth sciences. GCS has a team of highly trained staff with considerable experience in the fields of environmental and water science.
GCS Namibia will act as the Independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP), as well as the Public Participation Practitioner for this environmental authorisation process.
The establishment of communication networks is a listed activity under the Environmental Management Act (EMA) which requires an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the construction of “communication networks including towers, telecommunication and marine telecommunication lines and cables”.
This definition includes fibre optic lines, indoor antennae, antennae on existing infrastructure, temporary sites, as well as base transceiver stations (BTS) of various heights.
Because the project occurs at a national level GCS Namibia has been instructed by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) to engage in a national Environmental Assessment (EA) process in order to apply for an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) for the envisaged sites.
Initially the envisaged Environmental Assessment process would have been presented in the form of a National Environmental Assessment (EA). However during further consultations with the DEA it was concluded that we are no longer to call this project an EA due to the fact that the legislation for the undertaking of an EA has not been passed (See FAQ: What has changed?).
Consequently, the approach for the national EA was aligned with the requirements of the Environmental Management Act (Act 7 of 2007) to include three phases, namely:
The process was initiated in January 2017 with the main objective to consult with the various affected Ministries/Authorities to establish their concerns and recommendations regarding a strategy for implementation. Secondary to this, a team of specialists was put together to consider how environmental sensitivities will be approached on a National level.
Criteria was established for the No Assessment Sites and Environmental Exemption was requested from the DEA for all current and future proposed sites that adhere to these criteria. The approach to assessing the remaining Scoping Assessment and Detailed Assessment Sites in the EA was presented to and accepted by the Department of Environmental Affairs.
This phase involves review of baseline information for the study. It includes information about the legislative framework, the receiving biophysical and social environment information, and any other information that could be used to elaborate on or substantiate the current baseline conditions. The focus is to identify what information is available which will in turn guide work in the subsequent phase.
At the end of Phase 2 (upon submission of the draft Scoping Assessment Report for Environmental Clearance from the DEA) a recommendation will be made for the Scoping Assessment Sites based on the condition that the Generic Environmental Management Plans (EMP) per region is implemented.
The regional Generic EMPs contain recommendations that should be applied during the construction and operational phases of all MTC sites including a description of a chance-find procedure should archaeological significant sites be unearthed during the construction process.
Seeing that the Scoping Assessment Sites are considered low risk sites, the objective with the EMPs in this phase is to lessen the risk to acceptable levels by:
This is the core step of the EA. Potential risks associated project implementation are assessed. This stage will not only provide detailed information on the ecological, social and economic setting of potentially sensitive areas in Namibia, but also provide an opportunity for MTC to achieve their short and long term objectives while operating in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Stakeholder Consultation will be undertaken during all phases of the project to ensure a focused and effective public consultation process. Consultation will form the basis of the entire national environmental assessment process ensuring that all Namibians are informed and have an opportunity to take part in the process.
Cell phones connect to a communications network by means of Base Transceiver Stations (BTS). Each tower creates a cell that ensures that a user stays connected as long as it remains within the bounds of the cell. Should the user move to another cell during a connected call or data session, a handover process takes place to the closest cell without disconnecting the session.
Cell phone signal travels in a straight line and has limited penetration capabilities. Therefore, the strength of the signal is easily influenced by physical obstructions such as buildings and trees which may cause interferences.
In hilly areas ‘dead zones’ may be created because a direct signal between the handset and the Base Transceiver Station (BTS) is blocked by the surrounding topography. It may also be that there are gaps in between the cells where they do not completely overlap. This is typically where users will experience dropped calls.
If a user passes through an area with poor reception, the cell phone will automatically boost its power to reach the nearest Base Transceiver Station (BTS). This momentarily increases the power output of the cell phone and causes a sharp reduction in battery power.
Correlation between poor reception and the phone’s power output
Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) can only accommodate a limited number of users at any one time which is split between voice calls and data sessions. During peak traffic periods this number can incrementally increase which may cause the Base Transceiver Station (BTS) to become congested. Service providers try to avoid congestion by lessening the load on one site and transferring it to the next nearest site. However, this too may lead to dropped services.
Dropped calls and poor reception lead to customer complaints which MTC logs and use to identify potential problem areas.
Depending on the need, MTC will consider using the following types of towers in the design of the project:
Lattice towers are self-supporting structures that are generally made out of steel.
Monopole towers consist of a single tubular mast and seldom exceeds heights of 60m.
Guyed towers are monopoles or lattice structures that has guyed ropes to stabilize it because of its height. These towers normally exceed heights of 80m.
The height of the structures will vary between 10m, 15m, 25m, 48m, 60m, 80m or 120m depending on the terrain. Where only infill coverage is required to ensure that the cells overlap, shorter structures will be used whereas taller structures will be used in areas where there is dense vegetation (e.g. the Kavango and Zambezi regions) or where a larger area needs to covered by a single cell (e.g. the southern regions of Namibia).
Antennae come in different shapes and sizes depending on the specific need. Two main groups can however be distinguished:
Omni-directional Antennae are designed to provide 360 degree coverage from one antenna. It is used in instances where coverage is needed. Because of the dispersed nature of this type of antenna, the signal is generally weaker and is therefore ideal to provide coverage over short distances.
Directional Antennae are designed to focus the signal in a particular direction over greater distances. It allows for increased performance when transmitting and receiving information and ensure reduced interference from unwanted sources. It is often used when a signal is to be submitted over a longer distance through a number of obstacles such as buildings.
The bandwidth of the antennae refers to the range of frequencies that can effectively be supported. It normally covers the 800-900 MHz bands as well as the 1800-2100 MHz bands.
The UMTS frequency bands are used for the third generation (3G) communication networks. The various bands are deployed to different regions. The 900 and 2100 band is specifically assigned to Namibia.
The main difference between 2G (2nd Generation) and 3G (3rd Generation) Networks is that the downloading and browsing speed of mobile phones are much faster on 3G networks compared to 2G. The average speed of data transmission on a 2G network is 170 kbps compared to 3G that can reach speeds of 43,000 kbps (more than 250 times faster).
Power will be required for each site. Where it cannot be obtained by creating a link to the current NamPower grid, solar energy will be utilized.
Road access will also be required to each site, and where it is not currently available it will have to be created
Typically about five people are required during the construction phase and the same number or less during operational and maintenance phases.
During the construction phase the structure is bolt together and the antennae attached to the structure before is it erected in a dug hole of about 6 meters deep. It is then grounded with cement for stability.
Construction normally lasts about two weeks. Approximately three days are required for the digging of the foundation and while waiting for the foundation to dry, the tower is laid down.
Public involvement is an essential part of any environmental assessment process. Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) include any person or organisation that will be directly or indirectly involved and/or affected by the project.
To be recognised as an I&AP and to be kept informed of the proposed project and Environmental Assessment process going forward, one must register as an I&AP with GCS to be added to the Stakeholder Database for the project. You may communicate via fax, email or telephone to obtain further information or comment on the proposed project (Please see “Contact GCS” to the left of this information).
Registered I&APs will be kept informed of the Public Participation Process (PPP) throughout the Environmental Assessment process, will be given the opportunity to review and comment on the EIA process reports and documents and will receive feedback on how comments have been taken into account, as well as the outcome of the assessment. All comments will be recorded and presented to the project team and competent authority by means of the Project Comments and Responses Register (CRR).
During the Scoping Phase, consultation with stakeholders will be done on a National (relevant Ministries), Regional (all Regional and Local Authorities and parastatal entities) and Local level (general public). In order to ensure that all stakeholders have an opportunity to participate, meetings will take place in all Capitals of all Regions during the month of August.
Official adverts will be placed in four mayor newspapers and radio announcements will be made. Communication channels for all Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) to engage with the independent consultants will include online information, a direct phone line and email address, fax line and postal address.
While the comments period for the Scoping Phase will close on the 28th of August 2017, all other channels of communication will remain open until the end of the national environmental assessment process in order to allow all I&APs access to information.
GCS Water Environmental Engineering Namibia has been appointed as the Independent Consultant to carry-out the SEA Process. Your comment or question will be sent to their Communications Team in order to register you as an Interested and Affected Party (I&AP) and to address your questions.
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