Towards a 6G embedding sustainability

From its conception, 6G is being designed with a particular focus on sustainability. The general philosophy of the H2020 Hexa-X project work on sustainability in 6G is based on two principles: to reduce direct negative life cycle impacts of 6G systems as much as possible (Sustainable 6G) and to analyze use cases that maximize positive environmental, social, and economic effects in other sectors of society (6G for Sustainability or its enablement effect). To apply this philosophy, Hexa-X is designing 6G with three sustainability objectives in mind: to enable the reduction of emissions in 6G-powered sectors of society, to reduce the total cost of ownership and to improve energy efficiency. This paper describes these objectives, their associated KPIs and quantitative targets, and the levers to reach them. Furthermore, to maximize the positive effects of 6G through the enablement effect, a link between 6G and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) framework is proposed and illustrated by Hexa-X use case families.Comment: IEEE ICC 2023 Second International Workshop on Green and Sustainable Networking (GreenNet), May 2023, Rome, Ital

Electricity Consumption and Operational Carbon Emissions of European Telecom Network Operators

This study presents operational electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for named European telecom network operators during 2015–2018. These results are also compared to data for 2010–2015. The study provides an extensive primary data set, collected from European Telecommunication Network Operators (ETNO) members, covering operations in Europe and beyond, providing data with higher granularity than publicly available sources. The collected data set corresponds to roughly 36 percent of European subscriptions and 8 percent of global subscriptions. This data set was used to calculate the aggregated annual electricity consumption for the assessed operators, as well as associated subscription intensities, in total, for Europe and per network type. Moreover, aggregated electricity-related carbon emissions and emissions from other sources were calculated. Finally, estimates were made for the overall network operation in Europe for 2018 and 2020. The study concludes that the electricity consumption and number of subscriptions for the reporting telecom network operators remained nearly constant (+1 percent and −3 percent, respectively) between 2015 and 2018, while data traffic increased by a factor of three. For the extended period of 2010–2018, the electricity consumption per subscription remained quite stable, slightly below 30 kWh/subscription despite substantial data traffic growth (by a factor of 12)

Electricity Consumption and Operational Carbon Emissions of European Telecom Network Operators

This study presents operational electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for named European telecom network operators during 2015–2018. These results are also compared to data for 2010–2015. The study provides an extensive primary data set, collected from European Telecommunication Network Operators (ETNO) members, covering operations in Europe and beyond, providing data with higher granularity than publicly available sources. The collected data set corresponds to roughly 36 percent of European subscriptions and 8 percent of global subscriptions. This data set was used to calculate the aggregated annual electricity consumption for the assessed operators, as well as associated subscription intensities, in total, for Europe and per network type. Moreover, aggregated electricity-related carbon emissions and emissions from other sources were calculated. Finally, estimates were made for the overall network operation in Europe for 2018 and 2020. The study concludes that the electricity consumption and number of subscriptions for the reporting telecom network operators remained nearly constant (+1 percent and −3 percent, respectively) between 2015 and 2018, while data traffic increased by a factor of three. For the extended period of 2010–2018, the electricity consumption per subscription remained quite stable, slightly below 30 kWh/subscription despite substantial data traffic growth (by a factor of 12)

Towards a 6G embedding sustainability

From its conception, 6G is being designed with a particular focus on sustainability. The general philosophy of the H2020 Hexa-X project work on sustainability in 6G is based on two principles: to reduce direct negative life cycle impacts of 6G systems as much as possible (Sustainable 6G) and to analyze use cases that maximize positive environmental, social, and economic effects in other sectors of society (6G for Sustainability or its enablement effect). To apply this philosophy, Hexa-X is designing 6G with three sustainability objectives in mind: to enable the reduction of emissions in 6G-powered sectors of society, to reduce the total cost of ownership and to improve energy efficiency. This paper describes these objectives, their associated KPIs and quantitative targets, and the levers to reach them. Furthermore, to maximize the positive effects of 6G through the enablement effect, a link between 6G and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) framework is proposed and illustrated by Hexa-X use case families