Telefónica UK’s smart cooling for 4G and 5G networks

There are more and more antennas around us. The The fifth generation network You will let me know Multiply the necessary antennas To be able to use mobile services, since a portion of the frequencies it uses (3.5 and 26 GHz mainly) has a minimal range, it will be necessary to provide a larger number of antennas. So, Reduce your consumption It’s vital, and Telefónica has found a mechanism that allows to reduce energy consumption.

This system has been implemented in the UK O2 network. In the first week of May 2021, the O2 network Treat a 55% more data Compared to the same period last year, because people are leaving more homes and spending more time outside without using WiFi networks. For the full 2019, the Consumption increased by 89%.

They use natural air for cooling versus air conditioning

Therefore, this increase in usage translates into increased electricity consumption. For this reason, the company uses a new smart cooling system that regulates the temperature of the device, and uses natural air. Instead of air conditioning As usual. With this, in addition to reducing the electricity required, there is less need to use polluting gases such as those used in some air conditioners.

This technology is used with management software Ekkosense, Which uses sensors to monitor how much cooling each site needs to avoid overcooling each piece of equipment.

The operator is 82% more efficient than it was 6 years ago

Currently, 70% of the operator’s core network is already using this system, with the Energy saving from Between 15 and 20% for every Data Center Associated with each antenna. With this, the operator estimates that it will save the emission of 1000 tons of CO2 annually. The operator has already invested 400 million pounds In the past decade in the field of renewable energy, it has also led to reducing the amount of e-waste it generates. By 2025 they expect to be carbon neutral, much sooner than some of the world’s big tech companies are expecting.

With all of this, your network is currently a file 82% more efficient Than it was in 2015, something important to be one of the biggest employers in a country. To achieve this, they have incorporated, for example, de-activity modes, deactivating the technologies in the antennas when the demand is low. Additionally, the sites they directly control are using energy currently 100% renewable.