Eco-Tower promises rural connectivity

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Vodafone is set to improve rural connectivity with the deployment of off-grid Eco-Towers that utilise wind turbines combined with solar and battery technologies.

Vodafone has collaborated with Port Talbot-based Crossflow Energy on the development of Crossflow’s off-grid energy solution, which is a Transverse Axis wind turbine that addresses drawbacks of conventional ‘small wind’.

The turbine, which removes reliance on diesel generators for backup power, incorporates a patented shield which delivers optimum lift and drag performance across different wind speeds. The patented design was created in collaboration with Swansea University through CFD simulations and validated by experimental testing in the MIRA wind tunnel.

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Vodafone, alongside network partner Cornerstone, will now run a proof of concept to install Crossflow Turbine technology on rural mobile sites.

In a statement, Andrea Dona, chief network officer, Vodafone UK, said: “We are committed to improving rural connectivity, but this comes with some very significant challenges. Connecting masts to the energy grid can be a major barrier to delivering this objective, so making these sites self-sufficient is a huge step forward for us and for the mobile industry.

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