5G Is Up To 90% More Energy Efficient Than 4G, Revealed Nokia And Telefónica

The pace of the introduction of new 5G features accelerated in 2020, both in networks and devices, despite uncertainties caused by the covid-19

Around a billion people are expected to be covered by technology this year

The deployment of 5G technology communication infrastructure aims to promote the development of innovative services, for both individuals and user companies, in various fields such as health, media, transport and even industries of the future. It can be inferred that the rollout of 5G networks is expected to result in a huge increase in traffic, hence some people are concerned about the risk of energy consumption increasing at the same rate. But a new study reassures that 5G networks are up to 90% more efficient in terms of energy consumption than 4G networks.

Research by telecommunications companies Nokia and Telefónica has focused on the energy consumption of the Radio Access Network (RAN) of Telefónica, the part of the telecommunications network that connects mobile devices to the network wirelessly. Over a three-month period, the two telecommunications companies studied the energy consumed per megabyte per second when data was transmitted over the network under 11 different traffic scenarios.

Using Nokia's AirScale range, including AirScale base stations and AirScale massive MIMO adaptive antenna solutions, on-site base station power consumption readings in various traffic load scenarios have been combined, ranging from 0 to 100%. Several hardware and software features that come with 5G have been found to be able to help save energy, so companies have concluded that 5G networks have energy efficiency per unit of traffic of up to 90% better than their 4G predecessors.

The faster speeds promised by 5G mean that the overall volume of data traffic will increase dramatically as networks continue to be deployed and their usage increases among consumers. Energy consumption could therefore increase with 5G networks, when less energy is required to transfer a comparable amount of data using 4G.

The current reality, according to the GSM association, is that the global energy use by the telecommunications industry must decrease, as the industry currently consumes between 2 and 3% of the world's energy. Many national governments are asking companies to adhere to energy reforms with the overall objective of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, since 2014, by 30% in absolute terms until 2020 and by 50% until 2030.

If the study by Nokia and Telefónica highlights the ecological qualities of 5G in terms of data bits per kilowatt of energy, other challenges must be met, according to the study report.

While 5G is greener than previous technologies, further measures are needed

Although 5G is a technology natively greener than any previous generation of wireless technology, networks will still need to improve their efficiency and continue to reduce CO2 emissions. Contributing features found at radio base stations and networks, according to the study report, include 5G power saving features, small cell deployment and new architecture. and new 5G protocols.

Along with this study, Nokia and Telefónica are developing intelligent energy network infrastructure and energy saving functions based on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and collaborate to build 5G networks. ecological, according to a joint press release. In addition, both companies seek to limit global warming to 1.5 ° C, and Nokia aims to reduce emissions from its operations by 41% by 2030.

“Our greatest contribution to meeting global challenges in sustainability is to offer solutions and technologies that we develop and deliver. We attach great importance to this, ”said Tommi Uitto, president of mobile networks at Nokia.

Around a billion people will be in 5G coverage areas until the end of 2020

While the reluctance to deploy 5G, based on the insufficiency of studies on the technology and the lack of real debates of the populations on the issue , the super-fast technology has reached more customers this year than expected and will cover around 60% of the world's population by 2026, according to a new report from Ericsson. This makes 5G the fastest mobile network ever deployed, the Swedish network giant said.

The pace of the introduction of new 5G features accelerated in 2020, both in networks and devices, despite uncertainties caused by the covid-19 pandemic. According to Ericsson, 220 million 5G subscriptions are expected until the end of 2020, of which 175 million are for China, or nearly 80%.

Ericsson cites three main factors that have contributed to the acceleration of the deployment of 5G: the arrival on the market of low-cost smartphones with 5G capabilities, some models costing no more than € 250; many countries have chosen the goal of installing 5G infrastructure with government support; and finally, competition between operators, eager to announce support for 5G to attract buyers of the latest smartphones. To date, more than 100 carriers have provided some degree of 5G coverage.

“5G coverage will be extended to the point that one billion people will live in 5G coverage areas by the end of 2020 worldwide, This estimate represents about 15% of the world's population” said Patrick Cerwall, head of strategic marketing studies at Ericsso.

The year 2020 was supposed to be the year of the generalization of 5G. But the spread of the coronavirus has raised doubts about the extent of the technology's use this year. Theories have also emerged that have linked the coronavirus to 5G. Some mobile operators in European countries like Great Britain and the Netherlands have had their telephone antennas sabotaged in April because of this conspiracy theory. But this backdrop, instead of slowing down 5G, has in a way allowed operators to expand their networks faster, Ericsson data shows.

 

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