The benefits of building a green RAN

Panel Discussion

The RAN accounts for, on average, 75% of the total network energy usage for a mobile network operator. The radio unit is the most significant power contributor in a base station, accounting for as much as 80% of RAN energy usage. The physics of radio communications means these are far from the most efficient systems. However, there are many technology and operational innovations that can help to reduce this huge power budget. For example, developments in adaptive antenna units (or smart antennas) can enhance energy efficiency through techniques such as dynamic configurations and power settings, beamforming, reducing antenna chains and MIMO layers during low traffic periods, and ‘sleep mode’ capabilities. AI can also be applied to predict traffic patterns and allocate resources. The panel will look at the various approaches to building a ‘green RAN’ and the accrued benefits that arise from power savings.

Recorded January 2025

Francis Haysom

Principal Analyst, Appledore Research

Dr. Joan Triay

Manager and Network Architect, DOCOMO Communications Lab. Europe (DOCOMO Euro-Labs), Rapporteur, ETSI ISG NFV

Saima Ansari

Senior Partner Manager, Group Technology Innovation, Deutsche Telekom and Green Future Networks Lead, NGMN

Sarat Puthenpura

Chief Architect, Open Radio Access Network, Open Networking Foundation (ONF) and Aether, Linux Foundation