Nokia confirms 5G as 90 percent more energy efficient
02 Dicembre 2020 - 10:00AM
Press Release
Nokia confirms 5G as 90 percent more energy
efficient
- Research undertaken together with Telefónica finds 5G networks
up to 90 percent more energy efficient per traffic unit than legacy
networks
- Mobile operators can offset energy increases during 5G
rollouts
- Nokia and Telefónica committed to sustainability and fighting
climate change
2 December 2020
Espoo, Finland – A new study by Nokia
and Telefónica has found that 5G networks are up to 90 percent more
energy efficient per traffic unit than legacy 4G networks. The
research, which was conducted over a three-month period, focused on
the power consumption of the Radio Access Network (RAN) in
Telefónica’s network. The rollout of 5G networks is set to increase
traffic dramatically making it critical that the energy consumed
does not rise at the same rate. The findings highlight both
companies’ commitment to climate change.
Extensive testing examined eleven different
pre-defined traffic load scenarios that measured the energy
consumed per Mbps based on the traffic load distribution. The
results highlighted that 5G RAN technology is significantly more
efficient than legacy technologies when it comes to energy
consumption per data traffic capacity with several hardware and
software features that help to save energy. The study, which
utilized Nokia’s AirScale portfolio, including AirScale Base
Stations and AirScale Massive MIMO Active Antenna solutions,
combined actual on-site base station energy consumption readings in
different traffic load scenarios, ranging from 0 percent to 100
percent, as well as remote monitoring of actual power consumption
through the network management systems.
5G is a natively greener technology with more
data bits per kilowatt of energy than any previous wireless
technology generation. However, 5G networks require further action
to enhance energy efficiency and minimize CO2 emissions that will
come with exponentially increased data traffic. There are several
energy-saving features at the radio base station and network
levels, such as 5G power-saving features, small cell deployments
and new 5G architecture and protocols, which can be combined to
significantly improve the energy efficiency of wireless
networks.
Both companies are aligned with the ambition of
limiting global warming to 1.5 Celsius. In 2019, Nokia delivered
zero-emission products to over 150 customers worldwide and is
committed to decreasing emissions from its operations by 41 percent
by 2030. 46 percent less energy was used on average in the customer
base station sites Nokia modernized in 2019 compared to those where
its customers did not modernize.
Nokia and Telefónica are also developing smart
energy network infrastructure and power-saving features based on
machine learning and artificial intelligence. They are also
collaborating to build green 5G networks.
Juan Manuel Caro, Director of
Operational Transformation at Global CTIO at
Telefónica, said: “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.”
Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile
Networks at Nokia, said: “Our greatest contribution to
overcoming the world’s sustainability challenges is through the
solutions and technology we develop and provide. We place huge
importance on this. Nokia’s technology is designed to be energy
efficient during use but also require less energy during
manufacture. 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.”
Resources:
Webpage: Nokia AirScale
Webpage: Nokia AirScale massive MIMO Adaptive Antennas
Webpage: Nokia 5G RAN
About Nokia
We create the technology to connect the world.
Only Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio of network equipment,
software, services and licensing opportunities across the globe.
With our commitment to innovation, driven by the award-winning
Nokia Bell Labs, we are a leader in the development and deployment
of 5G networks.
Our communications service provider customers
support more than 6.4 billion subscriptions with our radio
networks, and our enterprise customers have deployed over 1,300
industrial networks worldwide. Adhering to the highest ethical
standards, we transform how people live, work and communicate. For
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