Four incentives are driving mobile network operators (carriers)
to develop greener mobile networks. The four incentives are:
• To reduce costs. Energy consumption is one of the biggest
operating costs for both fixed and mobile networks.
• To overcome limited availability of reliable electricity. Many
developing countries are high-growth markets for telecommunications,
but they have limited reliable access to electricity.
• To be more socially responsible. Many organizations have
adopted corporate social responsibility initiatives with the
goal of reducing their networks’ carbon footprints.
• To gain competitive advantage. Network infrastructure vendors
are striving to gain competitive advantage by reducing the
power requirements of their equipment.
All of these factors will continue to converge over the next several
years, creating significant market potential for greener telecom
networks.
Mobile network operators worldwide have embarked on
bold initiatives to improve the energy efficiency of their wireless
networks and reduce the carbon footprint and greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions associated with network
operations. According to a Pike Research report (pikeresearch.
com/), these green network initiatives will reduce network carbon
emissions by 42 percent by 2013. Mobile operations in
Asia Pacific, the leading region for the reduction of carbon
emissions by mobile operators, will be Asia and Pacific Islands,
followed by Europe and North America.
In 2010, Clearwire, the largest 4G service provider in the
United States, announced that it has begun trials in Chicago of
its first high-efficiency “green” base station cabinets. This new
generation of base station cabinets is capable of achieving up
to 90 percent reduction in electrical operating expenses and
would not require the use of HVAC equipment in the majority
of the company’s nationwide deployment. Following completion
of the trials, the new base station designs are expected to
be introduced throughout the Clearwire network.