Erika Ernfors, representing the winning proposition Communications Expander at Ericsson, explains that operators targeting low-income subscribers in emerging markets need to reduce costs as much as possible. "These innovations bring them a great competitive advantage," she says.
Ericsson's experience in life-cycle assessments has shown that radio network equipment in operations is the most energy consuming part of a mobile network. Any move to improve the energy efficiency of mobile communications should include a focus, therefore, on the performance of the radio network, while continuing to reduce operating costs and environmental impact.
One such Ericsson innovation is the Base Transceiver Station (BTS) Power Savings, a software feature which reduces energy consumption during low traffic periods by putting radio-network resources that are not needed into standby mode.
Ericsson's hybrid energy solution for diesel and battery is a self-contained power system with a new type of battery which optimizes charge and discharge levels, extending the lifetime of the battery and the diesel generator. This energy-efficient solution reduces diesel consumption by up to 50 percent, cutting fuel bills, fuel transport cost and maintenance requirements.
Another innovation is the Ericsson Tower Tube, an innovative radio base station site concept. The concrete tower has a lower environmental impact than traditional steel, consuming up to 40 percent less power from a life cycle perspective. This is because concrete results in less energy and CO2 than steel during production and transport, but most important is that during operation feeder losses are substantially reduced, and no active cooling is needed.
A recently-announced innovation is the RBS 6000, a new multi-standard RBS design, supporting GSM/EGDE, WCDMA/HSPA and LTE. "The RBS 6000 series offers a simple, energy-efficient site solution that gives a substantial increase in energy efficiency, in addition to the 80 percent improvement already achieved from 2001 to 2008 for WCDMA radio base stations," Ernfors says.
Alternative sources of energy - such as solar, wind and biofuels - will also make communications more accessible, as well as reducing environmental impact and reliance on fossil fuels. They also help address the energy challenge that operators face when expanding networks where electricity grids are unavailable or unreliable.
And with the latest GSM RBSs - specifically Ericsson's RBS 2111 Main Remote - the radio unit is placed at the top of the tower, eliminating both power loss from feeder cables and the need for cooling systems. Such a solution allows the RBS to be powered by low-maintenance, alternative energy sources, such as solar power, reducing operational expenditures further.
"Ericsson is committed to ensuring that its solutions lead the way in helping operators reduce total cost of ownership for their networks, and encourage sustainable development and access to communications for all," Ernfors says.
Energy efficiency is a key message in Ericsson's winning proposition, Communications Expander.
