5G’s untapped climate action potential

5G’s untapped climate action potential 

Digital technologies including 5G will help enable the transition to a net zero future. And the digital sector is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of networks and meet ambitious sustainability goals. 

By Bhushan Joshi, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility for Ericsson North America

Global leaders recently gathered for the 26^th annual United Nations Conference of the Parties, colloquially known as COP26. This year’s conference was widely considered a crucial moment in time to address climate change. At the event, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Deputy Secretary-General Malcolm Johnson stated, “Climate action is now more critical than ever before, as has been made abundantly clear by the experts, the science, and the evidence of our own eyes.” He noted that technologies ranging from artificial intelligence to 5G, the fifth generation of cellular networks, hold considerable promise to support efforts towards a world with “net zero” carbon emissions. 

The promise and paradox of 5G

As 5G technology is being deployed globally, it’s providing never-before-seen opportunities for people and businesses. 5G will deliver faster connectivity speeds, ultra-low latency and greater bandwidth. It promises to advance societies, transform industries and dramatically enhance everyday life. We also know that the most exciting 5G use cases – a supercharged IoT, smart factories, immersive gaming, etc. – will be incredibly data-heavy, something that has traditionally come with an increase in energy usage.

That means with 5G, energy consumption is set to increase dramatically if it is deployed in the same manner as 3G and 4G. Historically, each new generation of cellular technology has been installed on top of the previous generation, bringing with it an increase in energy use with increase data traffic. This is not sustainable from a cost or environmental perspective. Reversing that trend, and breaking the energy curve, is not just a possibility but an industry responsibility.

Breaking the energy curve

With 5G, for the first time, we have the opportunity to “break the energy curve” and potentially change the trend of increasing energy consumption along with the deployment of new generation of mobile technology. 5G will not only enable energy-efficient technologies, it’s the most energy aware standard to date.

As major companies across the globe, including communications service providers (CSPs), set ambitious climate goals and while consumers clamor for more data, faster, we must all work towards a solution. Although the ICT sector only contributes 1.4% of the global carbon emissions, it has the potential to enable a 15% reduction in other sectors, such as energy, industry and transport. But it’s not just the technologies 5G will enable – the networks themselves can be more energy efficient, with a reduced carbon footprint. 

At Ericsson, we believe that breaking the energy curve is possible. We have been committed to sustainability through more than 20 years of research, demonstrating that mobile broadband can enable sustainable development, economic growth and reduced carbon emissions. Thanks to the 5G standard, our development efforts, and technology solutions, we know it is possible to significantly reduce energy consumption, and it is our shared responsibility to do so. With 5G technology, we can help create a smarter, safer and more sustainable future.

So how can we support the quadrupling of data traffic without increasing energy consumption? Though a comprehensive approach that looks at everything from how network hardware is deployed, to software-based energy solutions, to the physical infrastructure at the cell sites themselves. Only by preparing the entire network, end-to-end, can we achieve the energy savings that will “break the curve” -- reducing not only energy usage but the total cost of ownership for service providers.

Increased network energy performance should be achieved through a comprehensive approach that includes network modernization, software solutions, and managing site infrastructure. Here’s a look at how 5G networks can be prepared to avoid the historical energy surge that have come with each successive generation of cellular Internet. 

1. Modernize the network: Preparing for and introducing 5G creates an opportunity to modernize and improve existing networks. This means deploying the right solutions for the right challenge, but it also involves taking advantage of an opportunity to modernize hardware across the entire network. One of the key elements of the “Breaking the Energy Curve” approach is that much of the opportunity for energy savings lies in modernizing lower traffic areas – the fact that 25% of the total mobile broadband traffic is spread out across 70% of all sites. This is the key to preparing the network through modernization, which will help CSPs handle traffic growth, prepare for 5G, save energy, and support a cost-effective nationwide 5G deployment.
2. Building 5G with precision: For efficient and economical deployment of 5G networks it’s essential to have the right equipment in the right place. A successful network rollout strategy that matches the right capabilities from Ericsson’s RAN portfolio with specific traffic and coverage requirements of each network radio site, can enable CSPs optimize network performance within the CAPEX and OPEX limits.
3. Activate energy-saving software: Artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions can assist in achieving energy efficiency without affecting network delivery or user experience. With energy-saving software solutions that can turn on and off during periods of high or minimal traffic. Such intelligent software is the lynchpin for managing power consumption during the peaks and valleys of data usage to drive energy efficiency and lower operating costs, ultimately delivering a better path to energy efficiency and a lower carbon footprint for networks. 
4. Operate site infrastructure intelligently: Deploying and operating site infrastructure intelligently, and building 5G networks with precision and customized equipment to best meet the needs of the end users, allows for optimization and energy savings. Passive components at cell tower locations, such as battery backups, HVAC/environmental controls, diesel generators etc., can then be managed as efficiently as the data flow itself. Ericsson also provides digital tools that leverage AI and machine learning to optimize operations even further. Efficient and deliberately designed site infrastructure reduces maintenance needs, lowering TCO as well as reducing operators’ carbon footprint through reduced truck rolls. 

Ericsson’s 5G product portfolio is built with energy efficiency in mind and to enable these principles for seamless and cost-effective adoption by CSPs the world over, in dense urban areas or rural communities of any size and scale. 

Ericsson’s goal is to achieve 35% of energy saving in Ericsson Radio System compared with the legacy portfolio by 2022. We made progress in 2020 with our ERS radios being 34% more energy efficient. Ericsson also plans to achieve a 5G product portfolio that is ten times more energy efficient (per transferred data) than 4G by 2022. In 2020 we also made progress with our 5G portfolio being 6.6 times more energy efficient.