Telcos Turning Green to Combat Environmental Challenges

October 25, 2024

Telecommunication is a sensitive pillar in the economy as it offers the link and communication that this world needs. But, this infrastructure has its own drawbacks, and one of them is environmental. Statista predicts that by 2026, there will be 7.516 billion mobile phones on our planet. These include energy, electronics waste as well as carbon. Where the human need to connect has arguably never been higher, there has never been a greater demand for sustainable processes within this industry. This article is devoted to outlining the problem of sustainability in connectivity, as well as illustrating different ways to affect the change in the sphere.

Environmental Impact

  1. Energy Consumption: The communications sector consumes a lot of energy to facilitate 5G and growing data centers. ITU puts ICT sector emissions at about 4% of the total global impact, and these are predicted to rise as More Individuals, companies, and governments turn towards connectivity.

  2. Electronic Waste: The KnowMore innovation increases the speed of its flow, which results in an immense amount of electronic waste (e-waste). Obsolete telephones, communications grids, and other communication devices go to the garbage dumps and, due to their dangerous components, have adverse impacts on health and the environment.

  3. Resource Depletion: Metals and rare earth elements —raw materials used in the production of networking equipment—cause resource degradation and habitat loss. Therefore, sustainable sourcing practices that will help minimize these effects are needed.

Progress in Numbers

This article’s objective is to continue the prior pieces in which the GSMA and ABI Research present the progress of the telecommunications industry regarding sustainability. Global carriers currently address environmental issues and ambitious commitments and advancements are being observed. Nonetheless, the sector has not escaped the challenges of decarbonization.

Key Statistics:

  • Commitments to Sustainability:

    • Deloitte predicts that telos worldwide will be able to decrease their carbon footprint by 2%, or 12 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2024, and achieve the same reduction again in 2025.

    • This year, the GSMA announced that the industry is continuing to align around the 1.5°C decarbonization pathway. Currently, 50 operators have committed to rapidly reducing their emissions over the next decade. These operators represent 63% of the industry by revenue and 44% by connections.

  • Carbon Emissions:

  • Energy Consumption Breakdown:

    • 73% of total energy consumption is attributed to the Radio Access Network (RAN).

    • 13% for core operations.

    • 9% for data centers.

    • 5% for other operational aspects (ISA.org).

  • Traffic vs. Energy Consumption:

    • Mobile data usage is expected to increase by 75% in 2029 and is projected to have an average annual growth rate of around 20 percent through 2029.

    • It is estimated that the total mobile network data traffic will grow to 466 exabytes per month worldwide by the end of 2029.

    • Global energy use has increased almost every year for more than 50 years, with a couple of exceptions in the early 1980s and 2009. Although it continues to grow, the rate of growth seems to be slowing to about 1% to 2% per year.

5 Green Practices Initiatives in the Telecommunications Industry

Telecom companies are now required to build communication infrastructure quickly while also protecting the environment. As the focus on reducing CO emissions and energy usage grows, more carriers are implementing sustainability strategies. However, they face challenges such as conflicting goals and behavior changes. Here are five current actions in the telecom sector to support sustainability.

1. Reducing Carbon Footprint

Electricity usage accounts for over 90% of telecom carriers’ operational carbon footprint. To address this, companies evaluate their pollution across three scopes:

  • Scope 1: Direct output from the operator’s own activities.

  • Scope 2: Indirect discharge from purchased energy.

  • Scope 3: All emissions throughout the value chain, including customer use of services.

In 2021, 60 mobile providers chose to share their carbon impact data with the Carbon Disclosure Project to be more transparent. This shows their commitment to following sustainability best practices.

2. Using Renewable Energy 

Many telecom companies are using renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and lithium-ion batteries to power their networks and reduce CO output. However, they can face challenges due to factors like local climate conditions and regulations that are beyond their control.

3. Leveraging AI and Machine Learning Tools

As artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms advance, companies are using these tools to understand how much energy is used and how well the grid is working. For example, automation can make 5G cell sites use less power when there are fewer people using them. But making these changes work depends on using the information to make real improvements. This can be hard because there aren’t enough people with AI skills in the industry.

4. Shutting Down 2G and 3G

Out of all the wireless 5G technological development possibilities, it is the newest generation that is less power-powered than previous generations, such as 2G and 3G. However, the technology requires significant infrastructure investments as well. In order to fully take advantage of the fifth generation’s power savings, operators have to update their systems from older, less efficient ones. This will help use energy better and make the network work better.

5. Prioritizing Device Longevity

Remember this: Mobile companies can reduce electronic waste by managing devices better. Phone manufacturers can increase the lifetime of handsets, promote recycling and refurbishment, and manage e-waste to be more environmentally friendly. Emphasizing the importance of the circular economy, where the current way of taking the products is changed by reuse, refurbishment, and recycling, they can also assist in addressing some of the climate change challenges.

Key Takeaways

Telecom companies have made progress in being more sustainable, but there’s still work to be done. They need to balance the need for high network performance with sustainability goals. Using AI and machine learning can help make energy use more efficient, but companies also need to take action to manage device lifecycles and consider using renewable energy. With ongoing commitment and teamwork, the telecom industry can keep improving its sustainability efforts while still meeting the needs of a connected world.

International Examples: The European Commission’s Green Initiatives

A key initiative from the European Commission is the Green Deal launched by President Ursula von der Leyen. It aims to reduce pollution by 55% by 2030. Evidence of this trend includes the upcoming carbon border tax, the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan, and the expansion of the emissions trading system (ETS) (von der Leyen, 2019).

At the beginning of 2023, a number of stakeholders gave input to a study on sustainability measurements that will be implemented in smart grids. Therefore, the idea is that global measures will be possible to formulate and apply to the creation of smart grids and the provision of services to their users.

The goal was to find common ways to measure sustainability, decide which ones are most important, and begin creating a Code of Conduct (CoC) about how sustainable European telecom growth should be. The feedback will help organizations address any problems with our standards and improve our sustainability performance in the telecommunications industry.

The Role of Policy and Regulation

Rules or regulations framed by the government are important as far as communications are concerned. Policies like this help to realize this objective by promoting the adoption of clean technology, prohibiting poor disposal of waste electronics, and engaging in renewable energy projects.

With the development of the Internet, it has become necessary for governments to regulate and control automated infrastructures, including the advancements of 5G, AI, IoT, smart cities, etc. This article will focus on one aspect of that process, namely the governments’ perspectives on digital transformation and infrastructure development.

Some of the Benefits of Government Involvement:

  1. National Security: Administrative supervision of telecommunications ensures secure communication networks, enhancing resilience during crises and protecting against cyber threats.

  2. Digital Inclusion: Investment in mobile infrastructure facilitates connectivity in underserved regions, fosters economic development, and promotes equity.

  3. Strategic Control: States can establish policies and mechanization standards to align with national interests and influence the evolution of their digital economy.

  4. Economic Growth: Targeted investment in infrastructure stimulates innovation, generates jobs, and propels growth in IT sectors.

  5. Data Privacy and Sovereignty: Government ownership of sensitive data keeps it within national borders, improving data protection and minimizing the risk of foreign surveillance.

Combating this issue requires identifying the optimum level of government-provided services in relation to private investment in mobile grid infrastructure. This will reduce redundancies and support creativity. Governance must also facilitate the distribution of cutting-edge technology such as 5G, AI, and IoT without hampering the rate of advancement.

Conclusion

A strong commitment to efficiency and thoroughness is very important in the growing telecommunications sphere today. Companies can be mindful of the surroundings by reducing the use of energy, managing e-waste, and allocating resources properly. By open-mindedness, interplay, and actively backing rules, the sector can be the best example of how to make the world a better place. This not only enhances the conservation of nature but also enhances the business’s position in a more allergic market. Please, let’s come together to make sure that the way we are connected does not harm our planet.

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