Introducing massive MIMO in mid-band 5G provides an opportunity to significantly reduce per-site power consumption and system-level energy efficiency.
The start of a new year doesn’t mean anything magical will happen, but it does mean a new focus, a renewed ambition, and an opportunity to rethink your priorities. For mobile network operators (MNOs) who have invested years and billions of dollars in building 5G, the best is yet to come. Looking ahead to 2024, carriers will have the power to continue 5G evolution, modernize legacy infrastructure, deliver impactful new services to customers, generate new revenue streams, and do these things. At the same time, you have the opportunity to work towards achieving net zero targets and advancing collective action on climate change. .
The key to linking network strategy and sustainability strategy is to understand that the two are not fundamentally contradictory. With the right approach, carriers can leverage modern infrastructure, software-based energy smart operations, and supply- and demand-side energy management tools to reduce energy consumption without compromising network performance. Masu. This knowledge will enable MNOs to redefine optimal 5G networks using established KPIs such as reliability, throughput, and latency, with the addition of energy efficiency and sustainability.
In an interview with RCR Wireless NewsSibel Tombaz, Head of Product Line 5G RAN at Ericsson, laid out a three-step approach to the larger transformation, characterized as a transition from “networked machines” to “networked organisms”. The former is configuration-based, semi-static and algorithmic, while the latter is intent-based and energy and user experience conscious, and are key elements in realizing the digitalization of society.
The three-step strategy detailed by Tombaz and that Ericsson has successfully implemented with customers (more on that below) includes:
- Put sustainability at the center of network planning and KPI alignment
- Expand and modernize your existing network while scaling up 5G
- Use AI/ML and automation tools to enable intelligent operations that drive energy savings.
As a first step, network KPIs need to be redrawn to prioritize sustainability throughout network planning, deployment, and operations, Tombaz said, adding that the energy consumed by equipment, measured in kWh, We mentioned energy consumption per amount of data measured in kWh/GB, and user experience. Metrics such as uplink/downlink speed. Together, these measurements can tell us “how best to deliver more services with fewer resources,” she said. “We’re really looking at providing insights from multiple KPIs at the same time, so we’re actually giving the right input to network design and optimization.”
Massive MIMO can bring significant benefits to carriers’ sustainability roadmaps
Looking at the entire network, “RAN accounts for the majority of the customer’s energy consumption,” Thomas Sandin, Head of Wireless Portfolio Management at Ericsson, explained during the discussion. In fact, in a typical network configuration that includes his two multiband radios for the low and midband spectrum and a massive MIMO radio, 80% of the system power consumption comes from the radios. Go to step 2 – “Radio is the main focus.”
Five years into the 5G cycle, carriers are still acquiring and deploying new spectrum. Particularly in the mid-band, a favorable balance of coverage and capacity can be obtained when supported by large MIMO antenna arrays. As carriers drive trucks and work in the field to deploy massive MIMO, they are engaged in large-scale modernization efforts to replace legacy infrastructure with more energy-efficient and high-performance solutions. There is an opportunity to get started. Sandin said, “The way we approach this is, of course… radios that can deliver more capacity and performance, and at the same time use less energy and tangible carbon.” That’s the truth for all of us. It is the purpose of ”
Sandin emphasized the importance of massive MIMO deployment as a key element to support traffic growth in a way that does not similarly increase consumption. He says, “We’re deploying Massive MIMO to our sites because Massive MIMO TDD is the most energy-efficient technology on a per GB/watt basis.[is] Basic. “Also, if an operator already has access to a site, updating his traditional RAN equipment can provide more capacity and lower the load on the tower,” as well as energy-saving features. We also have.”
What does that look like in the real world? Ericsson worked with Telstra to do exactly what Sandin described. Telstra replaced his 12 legacy radios supporting low-band frequencies with three tri-sector radios at a range of locations in the domestic market, achieving 50% energy savings. Six radios supporting mid-band FDD were replaced with three radios, resulting in 27% energy savings. Traditional massive MIMO arrays were replaced with modern equipment, resulting in 38% energy savings. That is, from 21 radios per site to 9 radios. As Tombaz’s third step in leveraging AI/ML and automation, Telstra is also leveraging energy-saving software such as Micro Sleep Tx for transmission, Cell Sleep mode, and future MIMO Sleep Mode, AI MIMO Sleep Mode , has plans for baseband power savings. As a result of Ericsson and Telstra’s implementation, he has achieved energy savings of 37MWh per day across the network.
“There’s a tremendous site reuse opportunity here,” Sandin said. “Massive MIMO provides higher capacity, of course, but also significantly higher efficiency per GB/Watt. I think it’s also worth mentioning, but we don’t consider it a singularity because we are leveraging the FDD bands that our sites have.” This combination is a big help in bringing more sites online. He said more capacity can be delivered over a wider area without massive densification, allowing us to do more with less. “And that’s really the basic baseline here, is not to increase the number of sites, but instead to reuse sites… So that becomes a very strong proposition in collaboration. .”
In conclusion, Mr Tombaz spoke of our shared responsibility to combat climate change. “Our goals as an industry and as a society are very clear,” she said. “We must leave a good future for our grandchildren.”
Use this content library to learn more about how to more sustainably deploy and scale 5G without compromising user experience.
