ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TELECOMMUNICATION STATION MAST IN ABUJA ( JABI AS A CASE STUDY)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

Telecommunication is a major driver of socio-economic development of cities all over the world. Indeed, many cities in the developing countries of the world are currently expanding their telecommunication infrastructure especially in the area of Global System of Mobile Telecommunication (GSM). Installation of Telecommunication involves construction of mast by the telecomm operators. Alleman (1989) describes a mast to be a free standing structure which supports antennas at a height where they can transmit and receive wave. Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) phones are sophisticated two-way radios that use ultra high frequency (UHF) radio waves to communicate information. The introduction of GSM phones and the subsequent rapid increase in the number of users of cellular phones, laptop computers, and tablets in the last decade has increased the need for greater telecommunications coverage across Nigeria and beyond. This demand has in turn led to the indiscriminate erection of telecommunication masts and Base Transceiver Stations across the country (Nigeria communication commission [NCC], 2014). Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) and Masts form part of the infrastructure required for an impact telecommunication system. In order to have optimal network coverage, BTSs are often located in close proximity to the target users; the reason telecom operators also site their masts in residential neighborhoods (Michael, Nnaemeka, & Matthew, 2013). A mast is a freestanding structure which supports antennas at a height where they can transmit and receive radio waves (Bello, 2010). Telecommunication masts may be of several types, and range in height from 30 to 300 meters or more. When a call is made, the GSM phone transmits signal to the nearest base station. The signals are received by the antenna of a base station and passed from one cell to another through an underground fiber optic cable or via a “point- to –point” fixed microwave beam, which require a direct line of sight (Residents’ and Environmental Services Policy Overview Committee [RESPOC], 2013). A base station is a wireless telephone exchange, designed to provide local connections with wider links to other national and international networks. Each base station provides coverage over a limited area, or cell, around its location. The cell covered by a base station depends on the call usage and the physical terrain of the area (Bello, 2010). To offer comprehensive network coverage, the cells must overlap each other like a patchwork quilt, so that users can move from one cell to another without breaking connection. As each cell can only handle a limited number of calls, the density of base stations has to be high in areas of heavy use (RESPOC, 2013). Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) was introduced in Nigeria on May, 2001 following the liberalization of the telecommunication sector of the economy. Since then, GSM has dominated the Nigerian telecom industry, accounting for about 98% share of the market (Nigerian National Communications Commission [NCC], 2014). Four GSM operators: MTN, AIRTEL, ETISALAT, and GLOBACOM control the industry in Nigeria (Aderoju et. al., 2014). As at May 2014, the four major GSM operators had collectively grown the telecom subscriber base from 260,416 in 2001, to over 131 million active lines. Following this rapid growth in subscriber base, the number of deployed transceiver stations (BTSs) grew from less than 80 in 2001 to about 44,000 in May 2014 (NCC, 2014). For GSM service providers, the primary consideration when locating BTS sites is finding sites that provide the best possible coverage in the area without causing interference with other cells and one that causes the least amount of environmental impact on the surrounding area (Sandy, Si-Yeoul, Pornsiri, & Nick, 2003).  Studies have however shown that there is a salient long term problem that may affect the residents’ health (especially living very close to mast location). In united Kingdom, it was shown that a mobile phone company was asked to remove its telecom mast from a block of flats after seven clusters of cancer and other serious illnesses were discovered (santini et al, 2003). Report from Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency shows that in its Dunanon Local Government District, residents that are between 1-5km from masts have several cancer cases including lings, prostate, breast cancer, lungs cancer, leukemia, lymphoma and hematopoietic cancer (Abdel et al 2007). There have been issues related to the fact that some of the masts that are erected are not very strong and there have been stray cases of towers having fallen down which causes nuisance to the environment. Thus, there is need to attend to these problems with a view to understanding its implication for planning, health and convenience of residents towards sustainable living in Jabi local government of Abuja.