Ericsson portfolio update aligns with goal to help operators break the energy curve with sustainable 5G infrastructure and operations
Ericsson announced today seven new RAN products the company billed as delivering “sizeable energy savings and up to 10-fold capacity increases with minimal or no added footprint.”
Among the updates are Radio 4490 which reduces power consumption by 25% compared to the preceding model. There’s also a high power variant with both using passive cooling rather than fans. There’s also a mid-band 64T/64R Massive MIMO mid-band radio, and a multi-band antenna. On the software side is Expanded Deep Sleep which essentially puts radios to sleep, cutting power consumption up to 70%, during off-peak times.
Head of Product Area Networks Per Narvinger said in a statement, “We continue to evolve our RAN portfolio with more solutions for smart, slim and sustainable 5G networks. Our latest innovations will further optimize 5G sites for both purpose-built and Cloud RAN deployments.”
Equipment upgrades are part of a more “holistic approach” to building and operating 5G sustainable that also includes energy-smart operations and renewable energy, according to Ericsson North America CTO Mike Murphy. “We believe by doing it right, you can actually reduce total energy consumption over time from where we are now,” he said in an episode of the Arden Media podcast Will 5G Change the World?
Commenting on the portfolio update, Global Data Principal Analyst Ed Gubbins said, “Ericsson has shown its commitment to sustainability through energy-efficient products and solutions for 5G rollouts and site expansions.”
