Making mobile networks more energy efficient

Oct. 25, 2011 - PRLog -- Telecommunications network operators are very interested in improving the energy efficiency of their networks. Besides the obvious environmental benefits, reducing energy consumption makes good business sense. In a mobile telecoms network, the access network and in particular the Radio Base Station (RBS) is the largest consumer of energy, and this is where most energy efficiency improvements are focused.

In order to improve energy efficiency, one must be able to measure and compare levels of efficiency. This requires standardized measurement methods used across the industry. For this purpose, ETSI has recently published the second edition of its technical specification TS 102 706 on the measurement method for energy efficiency of wireless access network equipment.

This specification, developed by ETSI’s Technical Committee for Environmental Engineering (TC EE), standardizes the measurement method for energy efficiency for multiple mobile network technologies: GSM™/EDGE, W-CDMA/HSPA, LTE™ and WiMAX™ networks. The initial version of the specification considered energy efficiency at three different static load levels (low, medium and busy-hour traffic). The second version of this specification adds the consideration of the dynamic behaviour of equipment in operation with a realistic load level.
Two energy efficiency indicators for wireless system are defined. One is based on the level of throughput compared with energy consumed and the other is based on the coverage area compared with energy consumed. This reflects the different demands placed on mobile network operators: higher performance networks and increased wide-area coverage.

The results can be used to assess and compare the efficiency of mobile radio network equipment from different vendors featuring the same mobile radio standard and frequency band.

Further development of this specification, which is supported by major telecoms equipment vendors and operators, will add other radio characteristics like fast fading to include more dynamic behaviour in the energy efficiency measurement method.

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ETSI produces globally-applicable standards for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), including fixed, mobile, radio, converged, aeronautical, broadcast and internet technologies and is officially recognized by the European Union as a European Standards Organization. ETSI is an independent, not-for-profit association whose more than 700 member companies and organizations, drawn from 62 countries across 5 continents worldwide, determine its work programme and participate directly in its work.
For more information please visit: www.etsi.org