ITU supports environmental sustainability of 5G systems

ITU’s standardization expert group for ‘environment and circular economy’, ITU-T Study Group 5, is inviting contributions to its emerging study of the environmental requirements of 5G systems.
 
The first ITU technical report to result from this study offers an initial assessment of the methods and metrics required to evaluate the energy efficiency of future 5G systems. Aditionally, ITU-T Study Group 5 is in the process of developing a new ITU international standard detailing sustainable power feeding solutions for 5G networks.
 
Chaesub Lee, Director, ITU Telecommunication Standardisation Bureau said, “This work will contribute to the environmental sustainability of the ICT sector as well as the many other industry sectors scaling-up their application of ICTs as enabling technologies to increase efficiency and innovate their service offerings.”
 
The 5G standardization process seeks to increase network energy efficiency by “a factor at least as great as the envisaged traffic capacity increase of IMT-2020 [5G] relative to IMT-Advanced [4G] for enhanced Mobile Broadband.
 
Achieving this target in scenarios such as enhanced Mobile Broadband hotspots will demand an increase in network energy efficiency by a factor as great as 100.
 
Victoria Sukenik, Chairman, ITU-T Study Group 5 said, “Our contribution to the environmental sustainability of 5G systems will build on our established expertise in the measurement of energy efficiency, resistibility, electromagnetic compatibility and the responsible management of electromagnetic fields.”
 
ITU-T Study Group 5 will develop energy efficiency metrics and measurement methodologies for 5G industry players to gauge the success of their efforts to improve energy efficiency, in addition developing requirements for energy-efficient power feeding solutions.
 
The expansion of ICT networks calls for the responsible management of human exposure to the electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by wireless communications infrastructure. The standards developed by ITU-T Study Group 5 in this domain will assist in ensuring citizens’ safety and help administrations to provide clear information on EMF to the communities that they serve.
 
ITU members have called for ITU-T to expand its standards work in support of 5G wireline innovation, agreeing the new 5G-focused WTSA Resolution 92 at the ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly held in Hammamet, Tunisia.

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