Sustainability: The Next Priority for Wireless Technology

Across Europe, climate change is widely recognized as the greatest existential threat. For businesses, this heightened awareness means that customers are increasingly evaluating the environmental impact of their operations, according to Diana Pani, Senior Director of Wireless Standards and Innovation at InterDigital.

David Attenborough’s “Blue Planet” series highlighted supermarkets’ heavy reliance on plastic packaging and its environmental fallout. While the telecom sector’s impact may be less visible, it is no less significant, and ignoring it would be short‑sighted.

As the next generation of wireless technology arrives, data consumption is set to rise dramatically. The power required to move this data will also grow, and 5G deployment demands a more complex network with powerful elements, IoT end nodes, and gateways.

Our research projects the telecom industry’s energy footprint to reach 51.3 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) per year by 2030, up from 19.8 Mtoe in 2020. If this energy demand is not curtailed, telecom could become a major polluter.

Many providers have already taken steps to reduce their carbon footprints. 5G’s lean signalling design limits transmissions to where data is needed. Meanwhile, the 3GPP standards body has largely focused on user‑equipment power savings, which improves device efficiency but can sometimes come at the expense of network‑level energy savings.

We are only beginning to understand the urgency of further network energy reductions. As 5G evolves, the telecom sector must lead by example and adopt a proactive stance on sustainability.

The Impact of 5G

5G is projected to add an extra 1.2 billion mobile internet subscribers, raising the global total to 5 billion, and to support 24.6 billion IoT connections by 2025. These increases in subscribers, devices, and video traffic will inevitably drive higher energy consumption.

Our own research shows that by 2030 the 5G ecosystem’s energy demands will grow by 160%. While 5G offers transformative benefits across industries, the telecom sector must remain vigilant about its environmental impact.

The impact extends beyond mobile devices. As 5G unlocks new entertainment technologies—such as virtual reality—the network’s energy demand will surge. Streaming services are already a major driver of consumer appetite for video content.

Video viewing already accounts for 8.2% of all internet traffic, a figure that is expected to rise. Moving from 4K to 8K video doubles the electricity required for delivery, underscoring the need for telecom providers to plan mitigation strategies.

Creating a Standard for Sustainability

3GPP’s recent emphasis on power saving and 5G energy efficiency marks a pivotal shift from a device‑centric view to a network‑wide approach. Standardised guidance is essential for implementing sustainable policies.

Analyses show that 5G NR base stations consume three to four times more energy than LTE counterparts. Network‑level energy savings will be crucial for the development of 5G NR Advanced in upcoming releases. 3GPP should explore mechanisms that enable networks to respond dynamically to real‑time traffic and user distribution.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has recently agreed to include energy consumption in video and production standards. Studies indicate that the energy footprint of program production accounts for at least 12% of a broadcast system’s total energy cost.

ITU working parties have prioritised technologies that improve energy efficiency and support sustainable development in the 6G roadmap. The ITU‑R Working Party 5D (WP 5D) is drafting a preliminary outline of future terrestrial mobile telecommunication trends, explicitly addressing energy efficiency and sustainability as key 6G considerations.

While 5G promises to elevate global GDP through expanded mobile data traffic and network efficiency, its energy demands are growing. Environmental sustainability presents a challenge for every industry, and the telecom sector, though not the largest environmental polluter, has the opportunity to act proactively and safeguard against becoming part of the problem.

The author is Diana Pani, Senior Director of Wireless Standards and Innovation, InterDigital.