According to a new study published by Nokia and Telefonica, 5G is 90% more energy-efficient than 4G networks. After studying the Radio Access Network power consumption in Telefonica’s network, these findings show that 5G is the gift that keeps giving.
The study used Nokia’s AirScale Base Stations and AirScale Massive MIMO Active Antenna solutions. The work done by these companies is part of their commitment to limit global warming to 1.5C.
The research concluded that even with this reduction in power usage, the 5G networks would considerably increase network traffic. Even with that, the rise in energy consumption will not be at the same rate as 4G networks.
More can be done
These positive results are not enough. Nokia states that more action has to be taken to make sure that energy efficiency is even better on a 5G network while lowering the CO2 emissions considerably. The Finnish telecom giants suggest that combining several energy-saving features can lead to significant changes.
They include practices like using small cell deployments and new 5G architecture and protocols to improve the network’s energy efficiency in a general sense.
Tommi Uitto, Nokia’s president of Mobile networks, says that the company emphasizes overcoming the world’s sustainability challenges and consider it very important.
A continuous journey
The telecom company has previously taken a vow to make sure that it can decrease all operational emissions by 41% by 2030. Nokia’s technology is made to be energy efficient even when in use and requires even less energy to produce.
The study’s importance shows that mobile operators can offset energy gains during the rollouts to make sure that they are more responsible for their commitment to the environment. The payoff is that even costs are lowered.
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