Initiatives

Millicom acknowledges the concern Radio Frequency Fields may raise among our customers and commits to provide access to unbiased information on the issue. In Bolivia, for example, we organize neighborhood meetings with experts from the World Health Organization, the local regulatory body and the media, to explain what RF fields are and to discuss the installation of antennas. We also distribute brochures developed with the regulatory body, explaining playfully but accurately the health implications of mobile phones and the way antennas work. Here you can see the Bolivian brochure on antennas in Spanish and a version in English from Paraguay.

Education forms part of the foundation essential to the achievement of Millicom's mission to provide "freedom to access today's world for people in emerging markets" . In all of our operations, most of our community support spending is directed towards education, as a means of achieving this freedom. In Lao, in 2008, Tigo built and equipped a large secondary school. In Ghana and Bolivia, we organize spelling and math contests. We have scholarship programs in several operations. The "Tigo way" is also to involve our employees directly in volunteering activities: In El Salvador, in 2008, Tigo staff refurbished and painted, several schools themselves, to make them more joyful and comfortable places in which to learn.

We are progressively shifting to low energy consumption network equipment and testing alternative energy sources in all operations, to reduce our energy consumption, especially where commercial electricity is not available. In this regard, Cambodia is the most advanced among our operations: there, more than half of the base stations (537 sites) receive around 40% of their energy from solar panels.

In Colombia, Millicom participates in a collective initiative to recycle handsets and batteries. We inform customers, collect used handsets and batteries, sort them and ship them for recycling. This initiative is the first in Latin America to implicate most mobile operators and manufacturers present in the market. Similar recycling initiatives are under preparation in other markets.

In cooperation with the GSM Association of Asia, in Sri Lanka we are testing process solutions that create significant barriers to the misuse of mobile networks and services for hosting, accessing or profiting from child sexual abuse content. If successful, these solutions will be made available in all other operations. In 2009, several operations will launch campaigns on mobile phones and road safety, considerate use and adult content protection.

Millicom is committed to minimizing visual pollution that can by caused by telecommunications equipment. In Mauritius for example, where tourism is crucial to the economy, we disseminate our base stations and antennas carefully, either positioning them on existing buildings or disguising them with foliage, in order to preserve the landscape. Advertising responsibly leads us to use billboards only on existing buildings. We also limit the use of leaflets and scratch cards, and undertake informative campaigns on environmental issues in schools.