Mobile phone-maker Nokia has rolled out portable solar chargers across the Kenyan and Nigerian telecommunication markets to boost electricity supply in off-grid regions.
“There are numerous advantages to this solution, including being able to service consumers outside of regular electricity supply, or those who need a quick charge on the go,” said Nokia West Africa Vice President James Rutherford.
Perhaps the greatest benefit, Rutherfoord said, is the cost savings achieved by being able to harness the natural resource of the sun.
“Nokia prides itself on its ongoing sustainability programs to minimise power usage. This solar charger provides an extremely environmentally friendly solution that is free of CO2 emissions,” he explained.
A World Bank report reveals that 16 and 51 percent of Kenyans and Nigerians respectively had regular access to electricity between 2007 and 2011, a factor that has motivated the need for more permanent and reliable solutions such as the solar chargers.
The Solar charger uses direct sunlight, with the average charging of less than four hours for a 1000mAh battery. The gadget is a thin film panel measuring 165mm by 237mm with a long cable and 2mm Nokia plug interface. It weighs 93 grammes and is thus highly portable in nature.
Finnish multinational Nokia is one of the world’s largest mobile phone makers by market share. It has close to 122,000 employees across 120 countries, with market outreach in 150 countries.
Aside from manufacturing mobile telephones and portable IT devices, Nokia deals in Internet services such as applications, games, music, media and messaging through its Ovi platform.
