Ericsson radio reduces Vodafone's 5G network energy consumption by half Credit:Vodafone
Trials of new Ericsson radio saw reductions in energy consumption at off-peak times of up to 55 per cent
Vodafone and Ericsson have completed trials of a new 5G radio system that promises to slash the telco operator's energy consumption across its 5G network.
The company's announced this week that Ericsson's antenna-integrated radio solution was successfully trialled on the roof of Vodafone's office in Southwark, Central London, delivering reductions in energy consumption of 43 per cent on a daily average, rising to 55 per cent during off peak times, compared to previous technologies.
"The success of this trial allows us to explore new ways we can more effectively manage the energy consumption of our network with our partner Ericsson," said Andrea Dona, chief network officer of Vodafone UK.
"There is no silver bullet for managing network energy consumption - it is about putting sustainability at the heart of every decision and adding up all the small gains to make a material difference."
Vodafone now plans to deploy 1,500 of the new low power 5G units by April 2022. The new radios are also more compact in design than previous equipment and include technology that will improve energy management, speeding up the rollout of 5G, and upgrades of 4G networks, the company said.
Björn Odenhammar, chief technology officer of networks and managed services at Ericsson and Ireland, said the new technology will help Vodafone reduce energy consumption across its network, and manage the anticipated growth in data traffic.
"Together we are building the 5G network of the future - one that delivers the highest possible performance with improved resource efficiency and low environmental impacts," he said.
The rollout of the new low-carbon 5G technology will also form a key part of Vodafone's strategy to achieve net zero emissions across its UK operations by 2027 and for its global carbon footprint by 2040. The deployment also builds on the company's rceent announcement that the entirety of its UK operations is now powered by electricity from renewable sources.
Vodafone has also partnered with Ericsson to trial the use of drones in collecting measurements and visual data for maintenance and upgrades, which aims to curb the environmental impacts and operating costs associates with sending engineers to remote sites.
And the company has launched a project to repurpose spectrum providing for 3G services to 4G. The reallocated spectrum will double low band capacity for 4G users and improve the network so that it can be transformed to support 5G through a software upgrade. Vodafone's Dona said: "Across our network, we're deploying technology in the most efficient and sustainable manner possible, while ensuring a great customer experience with the highest levels of reliability."
In related industry news, global telecommunications giant AT&T this week pledged to help businesses reduce one billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 through broadband technologies. Recent data collected by AT&T revealed that use of its smart 'Internet of Things' technologies saw a reduction in emissions of 72 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent.
AT&T now plan to partner with companies, such as Microsoft and Duke Energy, research universities and non-profits to develop new climate solutions through the wider use of broadband-enabled technologies, including smart Internet of Things appliances, AI-based transport and energy technologies, and 5G networks.
