(Commonwealth Union)_Cellular services, such as 5G, rely on a network of cell sites equipped with radios that transmit and receive signals around the clock. However, powering those radios and other cell-site equipment is expensive. Since mobile operators have so many cell sites, it’s not surprising that one of the most significant continuous expenses is the electricity that powers them. As a result, companies are eager to cut energy consumption and operational expenses at these facilities.
In this aspect, the emergence of 5G technology is a two-edged sword for operators: 5G is more energy-efficient than 4G in terms of energy consumption per bit of data transferred. However, in absolute terms, 5G requires more power, threatening to raise energy expenses per site.
Fortunately, manufacturers of 5G cell-site equipment (also known as base stations) have now built many generations of 5G gear, with each new wave of 5G technology focusing on enhancing energy efficiency through a combination of hardware and software advances.
Mobile carriers are making base stations more efficient by using new radios that provide more features than prior products while using less hardware and power. Radios that handle three frequency bands in a single box, for example, enable operators to accommodate 5G without increasing energy usage. Similarly, Huawei Technologies’ new radio/antenna units use “extra-large antenna arrays” to extend the reach of mobile cells while consuming less energy. Furthermore, Huawei’s BladeAAU Pro, another radio/antenna unit, gains efficiency through tighter product integration, employing a technology known as signal direct injection feeding (SDIF) to reduce signal loss.
Operators are saving even more energy by modifying the way they deploy cell sites. Traditional cell sites, for example, are built with small rooms to hold equipment – spaces that require electricity and air conditioning (which itself requires electricity). Moving base stations from inside rooms to outdoor cabinets or pole-mounting considerably reduces the need for this electricity while providing operators with greater freedom and agility in where they can install base stations (not to mention lower construction costs).
More sophisticated network software features can also help operators conserve energy. Some equipment makers include features that allow base stations to power down at night when there are less people on the network, but these capabilities are being developed with the next generation of equipment.
For example, Huawei has been promoting base stations that power down not only at regular intervals but also in reaction to low traffic periods whenever they occur. Another feature controls power consumption depending on pre-established network performance benchmarks to guarantee that base stations do not consume more power than is required to enable high-quality user experiences. According to Huawei’s test results with a Chinese cell provider, these features might lower energy consumption by 25%.
Moving forward, mobile operators and their customers will demand mobile services to achieve feats never before accomplished, such as new enterprise-oriented services requiring higher performance than cellular networks have previously provided. To keep costs under control and these services profitable, operators must continue to drive efficiency in their mobile base stations. Fortunately, their supporting vendors are already exhibiting ongoing innovation geared at accomplishing this.
