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.
https://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/210719_NGMN_GFN-Sust-Challenges_web.jpg600424adminhttps://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/ngmn-logo-1.svgadmin2021-07-20 10:00:372021-10-14 17:07:32Green Future Networks: Sustainability Challenges and Initiatives in Mobile Networks
During the last year, NGMN went through a significant transformation – jointly driven by our new Chairman of the Board Arash Ashouriha from Deutsche Telekom, our new CEO Anita Doehler, as well as by the entire NGMN Board.
Disaggregation, cloudification and virtualisation, amongst others lead to significant changes in the industry and the whole ecosystem requiring operators and the entire value chain to change in order to successfully manage these challenges. Hence, we felt a strong need to transform our strategy and focus topics.
We decided to build upon our strengths and remain operator driven with a focus on requirements level.
Together with the entire NGMN Board, we actively developed and approved our New Strategic Focus Topics, addressing the industries’ main challenges today and in the next years.
Alongside with projects supporting 5G’s full implementation, the focus of the NGMN Work Programme in 2021 and beyond is on three main equally important pillars with different time horizons:
1. Mastering the Route to Disaggregation with a focus on the End-to-End Operating Model
Disaggregation is a key topic for mobile network operators and the entire industry.
For MNOs and their CTOs, one of the most burning questions is how to master the operation of disaggregated networks.
Therefore, one of our core projects of this strategic pillar is “Operting Disaggregated Networks” – ODiN. This pillar also embraces network automation as well as cloud native projects.
2. Green Future Networks
Sustainability is a topic of general and global concern gaining increasing attention from many companies.
The “carbon handprint” or “enabling effect” provided by the ICT sector can efficiently contribute to lower the “carbon footprint” of a high impact industry. ICT represents 2% of the worldwide greenhouse gas emissions according to the ITU with mobile and fixed networks representing 24% out of the ICT emissions.
Our Green Future Networks project focuses on the identification and mitigation of environmental impacts generated by the network part of the ICT sector such as:
Sustainability Challenges, Initiatives in Mobile Networks and End-to-End Service Footprint
Network Equipment Eco-Design
Network Energy Efficiency and
Metering
3. 6G
NGMN has a proven track record in substantially paving the way for 4G’s and 5G’s success, its mass-market and end-user adaptation. We are determined to provide the same impact for 6G, in order to achieve harmonised global standards and to contribute to a healthy global ecosystem for the benefit of end-users.
As a global organisation representing the entire value chain, NGMN is set to take the lead in providing impactful guidance for global 6G activities responding to the needs of end users, societies, mobile network operators and the ecosystem as a whole.
We published the first 6G White Paper focusing on the 6G Drivers and Vision in April this year, in which NGMN Operators identify the key drivers for 6G and outline our vision for 6G and the future transition of networks enabling differentiated services with expanded market opportunities and novel experience. Furthermore, the paper outlines the key challenges to be considered in a journey towards 6G, and emphasises the need for a healthy and unified global ecosystem and for global standards.
This is the first of a series of deliverables that NGMN will publish within the next years. In the next steps, use cases and end-to-end system requirements will follow.
Our New Brand
In addition, we have introduced a new NGMN brand that builds upon and extends our new strategy.
The new NGMN is fresh and energetic, standing for the duopoly of our brand idea of unity and practicability. The dual colour scheme symbolises human touch (red) and technology (blue). We unite our human touch with technology! Our new logo contains several nice features, underpinning our new way of working. Curious to find out more?
Discover our transformation and access the TelecomTV recording of the „NGMN Press & Industry Briefing“ with the following NGMN Board member participants:
Arash Ashouriha (SVP Group Technology Innovation, Deutsche Telekom and Chairman of the NGMN Board)
Carlos Fernandes (VP Group Technology Innovation, Deutsche Telekom)
Anita Döhler (CEO, NGMN Alliance)
Yuhong Huang (Deputy General Manager China Mobile Research Institute, China Mobile)
Luke Ibbetson (Head of Group R&D, Vodafone)
Michael S. Irizarry (EVP and CTO Engineering and Information Technology, UScellular)
https://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/Key_Visual_Press_and_Industrie_Briefing_2021_600x333.jpg333600adminhttps://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/ngmn-logo-1.svgadmin2021-07-03 08:02:212021-07-06 13:32:25NGMN Press And Industry Briefing
NGMN’s mission is to provide impactful industry guidance to achieve innovative and affordable mobile telecommunication services for the end user, placing a particular focus on Mastering the Route to Disaggregation, Sustainability and Green Future Networks, as well as on 6G and the continuous support of 5G’s full implementation.
This mission is complementary to the efforts of the Linux Foundation’s LF Networking and LF Edge umbrella projects, as well as others like LF Energy operating within the telecom, IoT, and networking spaces.
Creating and providing open, scalable building blocks for operators and service providers is critical to the industry adoption of 5G and beyond. Therefore, the collaboration between NGMN and the Linux Foundation will focus on end-to-end 5G architecture and beyond 5G. Specific areas of alignment may include sustainability, network automation and network autonomy based on Artificial Intelligence, security, edge cloud, virtualization, disaggregation, cloud native, and service-based architecture, to name a few.
“We very much look forward to a mutually inspiring and beneficial collaboration with The Linux Foundation. Open Source is gaining increasing relevance for the strategic topics of our Work Programmes such as Mastering the Route to Disaggregation, Green Future Networks and 6G. We are delighted to partner with The Linux Foundation to jointly drive our mission for the benefit of the global ecosystem”, said Anita Doehler, CEO, NGMN Alliance.
“We are thrilled to be aligning with such an innovative, industry-leading organization,” said Arpit Joshipura, General Manager, Networking, Edge and IoT, the Linux Foundation. “Integrating NGMN’s expertise across pivotal areas like Disaggregation, Green Future Networks, cloud native, automation, and early work on 6G into LF Networking’s 5G Super Blueprint initiative is a natural next step for the industry.”
The Linux Foundation’s vision of harmonizing open source software with open standards has been in effect for several years, including collaborations with ETSI, TMF, MEF, GSMA, the O-RAN Alliance, and more. NGMN also maintains longstanding co-operations with all of these organisations. The alignment between The Linux Foundation and NGMN represents the latest in a long-standing effort to integrate open source and open standards across the industry.
https://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/ngmn-news-placeholder-image.jpg333600adminhttps://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/ngmn-logo-1.svgadmin2021-05-10 10:50:352021-05-10 10:55:35The Linux Foundation and NGMN Collaborate on End-to-End 5G and Beyond
Frankfurt, Germany, April 26, 2021: The Next Generation Mobile Network Alliance is set to align the mobile communication sector with its entire supply chain – from component manufacturers to service providers – to address sustainability challenges faced by the ICT sector. Its Green Future Networks project, launched in November 2020, is the first NGMN initiative to provide detailed guidance regarding the environmental impacts of the ICT sector’s network part.
NGMN urges all ICT companies to align investments with a 1.5°C trajectory in line with ITU L.1470. This includes roadmaps for the full ICT value chain i.e. for mobile and fixed networks, as well as for data centers, user devices and enterprise networks. In addition, NGMN will develop requirements and call for actions to support achieving the 1.5°C trajectory, thus helping the full ecosystem to better identify their options and priorities. All these levers will help to make the ICT sector more aligned with the principles of a circular economy. More than 20 NGMN companies including mobile network operators, vendors, service providers and research institutions already contribute with their efforts to a number of different and innovative topics such as critical raw materials usage, a method on circular economy scoring or the use of lean packaging.
“Orange has been pushing for network energy efficiency for years, and we are very proud of the outcome that 5G can deliver in achieving a more energy efficient design. We are very excited to be involved in the NGMN initiative. We are convinced that it will have a definite contribution to making future mobile networks more sustainable, reducing their environmental impact despite the expected growth in usage”, claims Emmanuel Lugagne Delpon, Senior Vice President at Orange Labs Networks.
Prof. Mischa Dohler, Chair Professor at King’s College London, adds: “King’s College London actively supports the UN SDGs – through research, industrial collaboration and societal outreach. We are excited to be part of such an important initiative by NGMN. We are certain that this initiative will impact the telco industry for many years to come.”
Interested industry players are invited to join NGMN in this important initiative.
https://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/ngmn-news-placeholder-image.jpg333600adminhttps://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/ngmn-logo-1.svgadmin2021-04-26 13:37:032021-04-26 13:46:19NGMN Urges ICT Companies to Tackle Climate Change ICT Companies should align investments with a 1.5°C trajectory in line with ITU L.1470
Frankfurt, Germany: Today, the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance announces its new strategy and claims pole position in addressing the key major Operator & Ecosystem challenges in the coming years.
As an operator driven organisation, NGMN is in a unique position to provide value, guidance and leadership to its members and the whole ecosystem in:
Mastering the route to Disaggregation
Sustainability / Green Future Networks
6G
Anita Doehler, CEO NGMN, says: “Operators are facing challenges on their route to disaggregation, cloudification and softwarization. One burning topic in this area is the design and execution of effective new E2E operating models. Green Future Networks is another highly important topic the industry ecosystem needs to jointly approach. In addition, early work on 6G has started. Therefore, we have streamlined our Work Programme to focus on these three extremely relevant topics to deliver significant impact in 2021 and beyond. At the same time, we remain committed to further support 5G’s full implementation.”
Mastering the Route to Disaggregation
For mastering disaggregated, cloud- and software-based networks, Mobile Network Operators need to start preparing now for future-proof operating models that are built on the orchestration of powerful ecosystems of solution partners, openness and flexibility to integrate new partners and technologies, highly diverse set of skills and capabilities to drive value and efficiency. NGMN’s new Work Programme will thus focus on the end-to-end operating model, considering, amongst other, the following key aspects: processes, technology, tools and skill requirements. NGMN will provide blueprints as well as relevant guidance towards the industry players and lay out roles and opportunities provided by disaggregation. The initiative aims to shorten time to market and to provide support in the selection and deployment of efficient operating models by Mobile Network Operators.
Providing Impactful Guidance for Green Future Networks
The application of various techniques to improve network energy performance is one fundamental objective for Mobile Network Operators since the number of users, connected devices and general usage continue to grow. The ICT network consumes the most energy in the content delivery process and electricity represents our principal source of greenhouse gas emissions. An additional objective is waste reduction, amongst other enabled by the eco-design of products and equipment. To tackle such important topics, this well-established NGMN project focuses on four major aspects: end-to-end services footprint, eco design, network energy efficiency and on-board metering. Consolidating a common view amongst operators and collaborating with equipment vendors and other industry players enables NGMN to provide a significant industry contribution in achieving UN and GSMA sustainability goals. NGMN plans to release frequent impactful guidance on sustainability to the ecosystem.
Driving Successful Implementation of 6G
Work focusing on beyond 5G has already started worldwide. The NGMN Alliance strongly believes that societal and operational requirements need to be considered in the development of a new generation. Operators are in a unique position to engage with end users, including vertical industries as well as user groups representing societal needs. The NGMN Alliance is determined to provide early and timely direction for global 6G activities. Its 6G Work Programme currently focuses on vision and drivers, including societal and operational aspects for 6G. This will be followed by use cases and end-to-end system requirements. Actively engaging with different stakeholders and facilitating multilateral cooperation with the wider ecosystem at the right time will support in developing a meaningful vision and drive a successful implementation of 6G in the future. NGMN plans to publish the first version of its “6G Vision & Drivers” White Paper around the end of Q1 of 2021.
Interested industry players are invited to join NGMN in these important initiatives.
https://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/ngmn-news-placeholder-image.jpg333600adminhttps://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/ngmn-logo-1.svgadmin2021-02-22 10:55:302021-02-22 09:53:23NGMN Claims Pole Position in Disaggregation Operating Model, Green Networks and 6G
Frankfurt, Germany – The Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance published its second 5G White Paper and has launched further projects based on its conclusions.
After the highly recognised NGMN 5G White Paper published in 2015, the NGMN Alliance followed up with another leading message to the mobile industry demonstrating how NGMN continues to drive the ecosystem forward.
Whilst initial 5G services have been launched, there is much more underway to realise the full potential of 5G. The NGMN White Paper lays out how 5G is expected to increasingly enable new business models and many new use cases, and gives its recommendation on how to realise the full benefits of virtualisation, cloud, edge computing and more.
One of the obvious conclusions is, that the industry must avoid fragmentation by adopting global standards with open, interoperable interfaces and application programming interfaces, thereby delivering the promise of agility and scalability.
Some of the key elements the 5G White Paper 2 highlights are:
A common Operator platform architecture is desired in order to allow edge computing to be used on a global scale.
Mobile Network Operators are uniquely placed to provide a fully integrated solution for Verticals that encompasses networks, clouds and platforms, with dynamic customisation, partnerships, end-to-end management, carrier-grade security and efficient spectrum use. Mobile Network Operators and Verticals should increase their engagement to develop meaningful, mutually-beneficial partnerships and business models in order to fully deliver the 5G potential.
Increased focus needs to be given to further improving energy efficiency, sustainability, social wellbeing, trust, and to digital inclusion.
Drawing on some of the challenges and actions identified in the White Paper, the NGMN Alliance recently launched two projects: Future Networks Cloud Native Platform, to create a holistic view on how network cloudification should be exploited, and Future Green Networks, to drive energy efficiency and carbon footprint reduction.
Nick Sampson, Director, Wireless Access and Core Network Standardisation, Orange, and co-editor of the White Paper, mentions: “Building on NGMN’s first 5G White Paper, this document emphasises key actions to support the continuing delivery of the 5G promise, in terms of enabling new business models and opportunities, and achieving the required agility to meet a myriad of requirements from existing and new users.”
Javan Erfanian, Distinguished Member of Technical Staff, Bell Canada, and co-editor of this White Paper indicates: “Following our 5G launch, we are pleased to continue working with the global industry and the entire ecosystem to drive and realise the full 5G vision for the benefit of all our customers. The NGMN White Paper 2 targets the next phase in this journey both to outline key requirements and success factors, including the new and extended value created and delivered by the mobile network operators working together with a broad partner ecosystem.”
“The 5G White Paper 2 provides a guideline for the 5G evolution with new visions, new use cases and new challenges. Engagement with Verticals is identified and highlighted to fully realise the NGMN’s 5G vision. This document further describes the unique and expanded role of the mobile network operator as a network and services provider. It is worthy of being the reference for producing 5G specifications and promoting the 5G ecosystem,” says Nan Hu, Lead Researcher and Manager of 5G Standardisation, China Mobile Research Institute, China Mobile, and third co-editor of the White Paper.
Anita Döhler, CEO, NGMN, points out: “The NGMN White Paper 2 describes the 5G objective of enabling and contributing to prosperity and productivity with significant energy and resource efficiency, sustainability, social wellbeing, trust and inclusion and promotes the engagement with the wider ecosystem to fully address the 5G outreach. I would like to thank everyone who worked on this position paper, which is a very valuable asset for the overall industry. As stated above, our White Paper kicked off several new activities already. This is an exciting time to be joining the NGMN Alliance and I look forward to continuing on the journey to 5G success and beyond.”
https://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/ngmn-news-placeholder-image.jpg333600adminhttps://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/ngmn-logo-1.svgadmin2020-08-04 11:00:092020-12-08 12:12:14NGMN Alliance Publishes Second 5G White Paper
NGMN published its first 5G White Paper in 2015, providing an operator vision of 5G and serving as a guideline for 5G definition and design. Since then, the White Paper has been referenced by standards development and industry organisations when producing 5G specifications and promoting the 5G ecosystem.
This second 5G White Paper begins with a review and expansion of the vision in the first 5G White Paper. It then highlights some of the vertical industries that 5G will progressively support, showing how mobile network operators can provide both network and services to meet the varied requirements of the different markets. A high-level description is provided of key technology enablers that have matured or been identified since the first 5G White Paper, and that are required to meet the Verticals’ requirements. Specific consideration is given to sustainability, the latest considerations and recommendations on IPR and spectrum are provided, and we conclude with some key messages and actions to industry. Sections listing abbreviations, definitions and references then complete the document.
https://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/NGMN-5G-White-Paper-2.jpg600424adminhttps://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/ngmn-logo-1.svgadmin2020-07-27 14:37:072022-11-07 17:23:205G White Paper 2
