How 5G supports sustainability and business resiliency

The pandemic highlighted just how hyperconnected the world is. Events in one corner of the globe ripple all the way to people thousands of miles away, and what we do today shapes what tomorrow looks like.

As such, in the post-pandemic world of business, it’s not enough for companies to just do well for the sake of the organisation; whole industries must do better for the planet’s future.

One way for enterprises to do this is by embracing digital transformation through technologies that promote both business resiliency and global sustainability.

5G is one such technology. It not only supercharges businesses for the post-pandemic normal by giving them fast, powerful, and reliable connections; it also contributes to sustainability by improving energy efficiency and enabling smarter systems.

These benefits align with sustainability roadmaps such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals¹ and Singapore’s Green Plan 2030². The Green Plan outlines how different sectors could work together towards net zero emissions as soon as viable. Among other initiatives, it focuses on promoting sustainable living, harnessing clean energy, making carbon- and energy-efficient investments, and developing more green spaces in the city.

The main concern over the shift to 5G, however, is that its increased speed and capacity will require more energy³. Fortunately, there are ways to make deployment more efficient and keep energy consumption in check. And at the end of the day, if a rollout is done strategically, the benefits of 5G still outweigh the risks.

5G can help various industries become smarter and more efficient by providing the connectivity that technologies like Internet-of-Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) require to run optimally and at scale.

These technologies, and other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions, could cut global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 15% in 2030, according to a 2019 study⁴.

To approximate the total potential reduction in GHG emissions, the study looked at different GHG-emitting sectors and the possible ICT solutions applicable to these. The use cases include smart grids, buildings, transport, travel, work, services, and agriculture.

IoT, in particular, helps analyse, control, and reduce the consumption of energy and resources by making systems more intelligent. It also lets businesses design granular optimisations with maximum impact.

For instance, Singtel IoT Sense’s radar technology could help stores make better decisions based on timely, accurate data by detecting human movement without collecting any personally identifiable information. To make operations more efficient, Singtel Fleet Manager gives fleet operators full visibility of their vehicles and Singtel Workforce Manager lets companies easily manage their mobile workforce.

Singtel’s IoT Thermo Track helps prevent wastage by allowing for round-the-clock monitoring of temperature-sensitive goods, whether in transit or in storage, through a range of sensors including infrared cameras.

These solutions let enterprises connect people, systems, and devices in order to improve productivity, boost employee comfort, reduce operating costs, and support overall sustainability.

But do these optimisations that 5G makes possible balance out its own high energy requirements?

Despite concerns about 5G being power-hungry, recent research⁵ conducted in Spain and Brazil shows that it could actually be up to 90% more efficient than 4G when it comes to energy consumption per unit of traffic (measured in watts per Mbps). The test pilot in Spain yielded up to 23% in energy savings, and findings from Brazil point to 5G consuming about 10% of the power required by its 4G equivalent.

Another similar study⁶ arrived at a similar conclusion, with 5G networks showing to be 90% more energy efficient per unit of data traffic compared to legacy technologies.

These studies show that keeping power consumption under control when deploying 5G is more than possible. The key is proper planning and strategic optimisations.

There are at least two ways to ensure that 5G supports sustainability: the first is by lowering its energy consumption, and the second is by reducing its carbon footprint (this, on top of the carbon footprint reductions that it enables other sectors to make).

Experts believe that doing this will require a concerted effort and a combination of different approaches.

For instance, players in the 5G ecosystem could help slash power consumption through several hardware and software tweaks⁷. Harnessing the cloud to reduce resource allocation to hardware and to automate different tasks could also help drop energy consumption.

To decrease 5G’s carbon footprint, other experts recommend using clean energy. This, however, may or may not reduce energy consumption and costs, which is why energy-saving measures are still crucial regardless of energy source.

For their part, Ericsson proposes a holistic approach: prepare the network by modernising it, activate energy-saving software, build 5G with precision to maximise performance and resources, and operate site infrastructure intelligently using AI⁸.

With careful deployment, 5G could play an important role in reaching the Green Plan’s vision for sustainability.

For businesses, those who harness it stand to benefit from the efficiencies and future proofing that it affords, as well as the opportunities for innovation that it opens up. Those who fail to adapt may find it difficult to remain competitive in the post-pandemic world.

To experiment with possible 5G business use cases, forward-thinking organisations could tap testing labs such as 5G Garage. The Garage—a collaboration between Singtel, Ericsson, and Singapore Polytechnic—is a shared workspace that houses Singapore’s first live 5G network. It has basic lab tools, 5G devices available for loan, and experts that users can consult.

Contact us to learn about how 5G can help enterprises—and the planet—build a sustainable future.
 

¹ United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, 2015.

² Singapore Green Plan 2030

³ Singapore Business Review, Telcos should prioritize sustainability in 5G deployments: research, February 28 2021.

⁴ Ericsson, ICT’s potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2030, 2015.

⁵ Ericsson, Achieving sustainability with energy efficiency in 5G networks, January 25 2021.

⁶ Nokia, Nokia confirms 5G as 90 percent more energy efficient, 2020.

⁷ Telecom TV, 5G and sustainability: We can’t carry on like this!, 2021.

⁸ Ericsson, Breaking the energy curve: An innovative approach to reducing mobile network energy use, 2020.