Traditional network KPIs need to be realigned as the importance of sustainable 5G becomes top of mind
From the advent of cellular networks until present, the majority of operators have focused investment and analysis on network key performance indicators (KPIs) that speak to the ability to support peak capacity demands. But this is a flawed perception—if a user is trying to stream a video, send an email, browse the internet, or other common smartphone applications, they don’t need a network to churn out peak capacity. If you further dissect this disconnect in the context of lowering mobile network energy consumption, a focus on end-user quality of experience (QoE) would not only give operators a better understanding of how real people use technology, it would also give them an immediate pathway to cutting energy consumption and costs while also getting closer to meeting net-zero ambitions.
Ericsson has emphasized the need for operators to break the historic energy curve rise associated with generational cellular upgrades, and deliver performant 5G networks that support real-world impactful use cases while not causing an incremental spike in power draw. This holistic approach to sustainable 5G involves infrastructure modernization and energy-smart operations.
In a recent blog post, Ericsson Portfolio Director Gökce Alacadagli discussed the difference between a legacy approach to quantifying network performance and a user-centric approach that furthers sustainability efforts. “We focus too much on network KPIs and CapEx investments to expand the network and potentially increase overall energy consumption. This is even though most operators have communicated their group-level targets to become neutral then net zero. This stimulates a mindset shift to transform from peak performance service provider to energy efficient, sustainable service provider.”
Given that the vast majority of a network energy consumption comes from the radio access network (RAN), this is a natural place for operators to focus efforts on equipment modernization and energy-smart operations. To reductively describe how the RAN can become more efficient without compromising performance, consider that many radios are constantly running signaling, synchronization and other processes regardless of whether those processes are necessary to support users. By using machine learning and artificial intelligence, those processes (and associated power consumption) can be put into sleep modes of various durations when not needed. While this happens in millisecond or second timeframes, the cumulative effect across a macro network over time can quickly add up to material cost savings with no impact to users. Further add into the mix silicon-level advancements in power efficiency, greener network architectures, shifting energy mixes and other advancements, RAN power consumption and costs can be substantially reduced.
Alacadagli pointed out that a dip on a 28 Mbps connection to 25 Mbps will have no performance impact on a user watching an HD video or communicating over WhatsApp, applications that, among many others, perform just fine on a 10 Mbps link. “So if there’s a controlled change in throughput due to energy optimization measures, there will be no perceptible impact on customers’ experience. We…can help operators find the right balance between energy saving and optimizing throughput.”
Sustainable 5G as a vector for monetization
With some exceptions and for many reasons, monetization of 5G has been a slow roll. Fixed wireless access is helping operators capture new service revenues, as is upselling service plans in tandem with handset upgrades, but what if sustainable 5G in and of itself could help win share in the market?
Ericsson’s North America Head of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Bhushan Joshi told RCR Wireless News, “Consumers are looking for both affordability and sustainable lifestyle products. The switch to sustainable and efficient 5G networks is a value proposition operators can put in front of their customers… especially with younger Gen Z customers 95% of whom own a smartphone1 and 90% of this same cohort who believe companies must act to help social and environmental issues2.
Indeed, visitors to the Deutsche Telekom stand at the recent Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona were greeted with a centerpiece display urging them to Switch to Green. From the company’s website, green networks deliver “more sustainable surfing and phone calls. Deutsche Telekom has not only the best network—it is green as well. We have been running our network entirely on electricity from renewable sources since 2021…By 2025, we aim to be climate-neutral with direct and direct CO2 emissions in our company.”
As carriers fully grasp the concurrent shifts from shareholder to stakeholder capitalism, from provisioning networks for peak demand to a focus on energy-efficiency, and the parallel opportunities for revenue growth and cost reduction, Ericsson continues to support infrastructure modernization and energy-smart operations.
Ahead of MWC Ericsson launched a portfolio update designed to balance performance with sustainability. The new triple-band Radio 4485, for example, is 53% lighter than its predecessor and uses approximately 22% less energy than comparable units. Other portfolio features include Booster Carrier Sleep, a software feature that can switch component carriers on and off based on network load, and MINI-LINK Radio Deep Sleep to cut energy consumption by up to 25% by “hibernating radios” in multi-carrier solutions.
Make the network more sustainable, make the world more sustainable
The core premise here—that operators can achieve their net-zero goals without compromising network performance—isn’t just limited to those operators. As the Industry 4.0 era unfolds, 5G is seen as a key piece of the enterprise and industrial digital transformation journey. While operators make their own companies more sustainable, they can help their customers do the same.
Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm laid out the big picture in a blog post published ahead of the 2023 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. “Digital transformation is a key tool to address climate change. Ericsson’s research has found that ICT solutions can help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by up to 15% by 2030 while responsible for only 1.4% of the global carbon footprint. That reduction can go even further with emerging technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence and the internet of things.”
Use this content library to get more information on how 5G can be deployed and scaled more sustainably without compromising user experience:
- The climate science is clear—5G operators have a key role to play in meeting global sustainability goals
- Report: Ericsson Mobility Report, November 2022
- Report: On the road to breaking the energy curve–a key building block for a net-zero future
- Article: As operators scale 5G, sustainability is a business imperative
- Podcast: The Voice of 5G—network energy efficiency and new 5G statistics
- Article: For 5G and beyond, energy is as important as RAN, core and transport
- Podcast: Will 5G Change the World? featuring Ericsson North America Chief Technology Officer Mike Murphy
- Article: Ericsson and Vodafone halve network energy consumption in breakthrough 5G trial
- Article: IntraGrain makes agriculture smarter with with IoT
- Article: With the transition to 5G, operators can achieve societal, financial and environmental goals
- Report: Breaking the energy curve—An innovative approach to reducing mobile network energy use
