Category: GFN

GFN_Energy_Efficiency_Roadmap_V1.0

Green Future Networks: A Roadmap to Energy Efficient Mobile Networks

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This latest NGMN publication outlines 16 different energy saving techniques and intelligent solutions that are currently used or under development in the industry. Supported by real-world data, the publication highlights the energy saving potential of each solution and classifies each by type and by the time needed to develop and deploy them.

According to the publication, energy consumption can be reduced through process optimisations, engineering and operational improvements, and the deployment of recent technologies. This is the latest phase of NGMN’s Green Future Networks programme, building on the previous publications that addressed the short-term solutions that mobile network operators (MNOs) could deploy.

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Green Future Networks: Metering in Virtualised RAN Infrastructure

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Being “green”, which entails energy efficiency and sustainability without compromising performance, is increasingly recognised as a hot topic and a prerequisite for enduring success today and in the future.

Through this publication, the NGMN Alliance delivers vital recommendations for industry standards, facilitating more precise and real-time estimations of energy consumed by virtualised or cloud-native network functions. It highlights the necessity of enhancing current 3GPP Virtual Network Function (VNF) / Cloud Network Function (CNF) energy consumption estimation frameworks for more precise measurement of energy consumption by VNF/CNF on shared IT/Cloud infrastructure.

Furthermore, the publication emphasises the implementation and the consideration by standardisation bodies of the Redfish® model published by DMTF as a starting point, and addresses the questions which data/parameters are measured, how, and which standards to align to.

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Green Future Networks - Energy Efficiency Phase 2 Cover

Network Energy Efficiency Phase 2

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The mobile industry through NGMN’s Green Future Networks Programme has come together to find solutions to increase network energy efficiency and enable operators to reduce their electricity consumption. In this publication we outline and prioritise the various options available to increase network energy efficiency. In particular energy saving approaches are organised into three broad categories (and time-horizons):

• process optimisations – short-term (chapter 2)
• engineering optimisations – medium-term (chapter 3)
• new technologies – long-term (chapter 4)

For each energy saving approach information is provided – based on data from live networks and/or simulations – on the size and scope of the potential energy savings.

 

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Green Future Networks: KPIs and Target Values for Green Network Assessment

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This NGMN publication outlines a set of KPIs and target values alongside a framework for consolidating the KPIs into an overall measure. The framework encompasses two major pillars: Environmental KPIs as well as Energy and Quality of Experience KPIs. The outlined KPIs build upon and utilise the best practices of existing telco sustainability initiatives and frameworks and, in an industry first, define target values and a scoring methodology for consolidating multiple KPIs into a single measure. Further NGMN suggests to combine energy efficiency and service quality KPIs to produce a useful measure of how an operator is improving its energy efficiency while maintaining the high service quality end users expect from their mobile network.

As the industry gains experience with these metrics, it is anticipated that the KPIs and the framework will be further developed to ensure continued alignment with industry needs. This will include ensuring that the NGMN KPIs and framework continue to be aligned with work of other industry bodies – with the ultimate aim of ensuring a single set of industry wide agreed KPIs.

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Publication Green Future Networks: Telco Supply Chain Sustainability Cover

Green Future Networks: Telco Supply Chain Sustainability

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In this first publication of NGMN’s Green Future Networks Phase 2 in 2023, the key challenges mobile operators face in developing sustainable supply chains are outlined. A review of the emerging regulatory and standards environment is conducted.  Approaches and best practices in developing sustainable supply chains are identified by relating the emerging business and regulatory environment to examples of the changes that operators and their supply chain partners may need to make, both at strategic and operational levels. Integrating sustainability goals into the operator’s core objectives is of key importance as well as selecting suppliers whose own sustainability strategies are aligned with these goals. Finally, a checklist based on the best practices in the industry is provided to support operators in developing a sustainable procurement strategy. Examples from across the industry are included that highlight that companies are already embracing many of the concepts identified in this publication.

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Metering for Sustainable Networks

Green Future Networks – Metering for Sustainable Networks v1.0

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This publication’s recommendations are:

  • To identify and understand the behaviour of energy intensive or under-utilized parts of the network and in order to optimize and manage them in an energy efficient way it is recommended to deploy metering. Metering with more granular measurements will enable to check the energy performance of equipment in real time condition as well as to improve and promote the use of renewable energy source in a more optimized way.
  • It is recommended to deploy metering at the network and technical sites to measure the energy consumption and other relevant parameters such as temperature and humidity of the active equipment e.g. radio, backhauling and core equipment.
  • Standardized metering shall be defined with generic unified architecture for data collection, site internal communication architecture ideally equipped with higher level intelligent Next Generation Control Unit or Data Gathering Unit. In addition, measurement parameters with given accuracy as well as data collection and interfaces, including virtualized and NFV environments should be standardized
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Green Future Networks - Network Energy Efficiency

Green Future Networks: Network Energy Efficiency

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The energy performance of mobile networks has improved over the years due to introduction of new generations of cellular technology, with better spectral efficiency, advanced hardware with lower power consumption and also many energy saving features introduced in mobile networks. As the deployment of these energy saving features represents an important step in improving energy performance of mobile networks, this publication studies the different existing and coming new energy saving features and of course their potential when rolled out in the networks. It also defines the next steps for further energy performance activities and studies. Other topics addressed by the publication are related to the different types of hardware, architectures, and site solutions.

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NGMN Green Future Networks Network Equipment Eco-Design and End to End Service Footprint

Green Future Networks: Network Equipment Eco-Design and End to End Service Footprint

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The main goal of the present White Paper is to give an overview of the existent procedures and visions for eco-design of Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) network equipment. In order to introduce network equipment eco-design principles, this White Paper investigates the strategy to reduce the environmental footprint and then presents the basis of circularity. It presents a method called Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which allows to assess the network equipment environmental footprint with an accurate level of precision and completeness. A view on the materials footprint and the role of critical raw materials as part of product’s eco-design is given considering the associated supply risks. Other important topics dealt in this White Paper are network equipment re-manufacturing and refurbish benefits as well as innovation in packaging inspired in eco-design principles. To finalize, the status of work on the development of a methodology to measure the end-to-end services footprint is presented.

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NGMN Green Future Networks Sustainability Challenges

Green Future Networks: Sustainability Challenges and Initiatives in Mobile Networks

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The NGMN Green Future Network project expands on the discussion of sustainability as outlined in the NGMN 5G White Paper v2.0 and is focused on the identification and mitigation of environmental impacts generated by the network part of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) sector.

 

This is the first White Paper resulting from the NGMN Green Future Network project. It introduces the subject of sustainability in mobile networks and provides context of this broad and complex topic. The background, measurement and sector targets for greenhouse gas emissions impacting climate change are described, along with the exploration of renewable energy as a key strategy for service providers to tackle emissions, high level Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the environmental performance, standardization work, energy efficiency in networks, as well as operator and vendor net-zero initiatives.

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