Africa’s telecom towers turn to solar as diesel costs surge

Soaring diesel prices linked to the Iran war are accelerating a continent‑wide shift in Africa’s telecom industry, pushing operators to replace fuel‑hungry generators with solar‑powered systems to keep mobile networks running and costs under control.

Diesel powers most of Africa’s 500,000 cell phone towers, but recent price spikes and supply disruptions have made it increasingly expensive and unreliable.

Several…