Fifth generation of 5G mobile broadband technology has been found to be up to 90 per cent more energy efficient per traffic unit than legacy 4G networks, as per a new study.
The study which was spread over three months and conducted by Finnish telecoms gear maker Nokia in collaboration with Spain’s Telefonica studied the power consumption of the Radio Access Network (RAN) in Telefonica’s network.
Based on in-depth testing across eleven different predefined traffic load scenarios that measured the energy consumed per Mbps based on traffic load distribution, the two companies collectively concluded that 5G RAN technology is significantly more efficient than legacy technologies when it comes to energy consumption per data traffic capacity.
India’s telecom sector, in the efforts of enabling policies including more quantum of the spectrum, is set to establish new benchmarks in the next-generation network deployments and service delivery.
The study leveraged Nokia’s AirScale portfolio and combined actual on-site base station energy consumption readings in different traffic load scenarios varying from 0% to 100%, as well as remote monitoring of actual power consumption through the network management systems.
“Our greatest contribution to overcoming the world’s sustainability challenges is through the solutions and technology we develop and provide..This important study highlights how mobile operators can offset energy gains during their rollouts helping them to be more environmentally responsible while allowing them to achieve significant cost savings,” said president of Mobile Networks at Nokia, Tommi Uitto.
“We are committed to supporting action on climate change and engender a sustainable culture throughout our entire company. We are proud to work collaboratively with Nokia on this project and others to address a range of initiatives including driving energy efficiencies in the 5G era,” said Director of Operational Transformation at Global CTIO at Telefónica, Juan Manuel Caro.
5G is a natively greener technology with more data bits per kilowatt of energy than any previous wireless technology generation. However, with an exponential increase in data traffic, further action will be required to enhance the efficiency of 5G networks, said Nokia.
However, 5G networks require further action to enhance energy efficiency and minimize CO2 emissions that will come with exponentially increased data traffic.
Nokia and Telefónica are also developing smart energy network infrastructure and power-saving features based on machine learning and artificial intelligence and are also collaborating to build green 5G networks. https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com
