Technology for good
Through our many local and global initiatives, Ericsson is committed to creating positive impacts in society, and to using technology to drive sustainable change.
In focus
Combating climate change: Making 5G the most sustainable network ever
Is it possible to quadruple data traffic without increasing energy consumption? If 5G is deployed in the same way as 3G and 4G were, the energy consumption of mobile networks would increase dramatically. From both a cost and carbon footprint perspective this is simply not sustainable. Ericsson sees climate change as an opportunity to rethink how to build, operate and manage networks in a smarter and more strategic way – to break the energy curve.
By 2022, Ericsson’s 5G product portfolio aims to be ten times more energy-efficient for the same transferred data than 4G. Results from 2019 show our current 5G radios are already approximately five times more energy-efficient than 4G. Not only do we seek to make 5G the most energy-efficient standard yet, but we have also set ourselves the organisational and operational goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
Learn more about our innovative approach in our ‘Breaking the energy curve’ report.
Drawing inspiration from nature: Local team takes Ericsson Innovation Award
Many of the greatest technological achievements are based on examples originally found in nature. Sonar, swarm logic, wind turbines, even Velcro, were all created from observing natural elements. With 71% of the earth being covered by water, there’s no doubt we have much more to learn if we look a little deeper.
The 2019 edition of Ericsson Innovation Awards challenged students to harness the power of water and underwater material environments to develop innovative solutions to global challenges. From Singapore to Toronto, there were over 2,000 teams that entered the competition, but it was a team from the University of Adelaide that won the ultimate prize.
Team Adelaide Bio-AUV took inspiration from the humble Cuttlefish. Using a flexible membrane, the team replicated the Cuttlefish’s highly efficient and maneuverable propulsion system in an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Powered by saltwater batteries which generate electricity using a constant stream of saltwater, the Bio-AUV can access intricate environments and collect difficult to acquire data.
Bringing quality education to rural and remote communities: Uplifting the School of the Air
Most adult Australians over the age of 50 will get a dose of nostalgia if you mention the School of the Air. Up until the 1950s children living in outback Australia often did their schooling by correspondence. Lessons took days and weeks to reach children, and by the time they completed the lessons, and they were dispatched to their teachers, marked and returned, months could have elapsed. Many children inevitably completed their entire schooling without ever meeting their teacher or schoolmates.
Then came the School of the Air – with the aim to bring isolated children out of the silence and give them a sense of belonging. The Royal Flying Doctor Service’s HF radio network was used by schools to develop two-way broadcast ‘lessons’ to the children, bringing both teacher and classroom together for the first time.
NBN Co, along with strategic partner Ericsson, aims to provide the next giant leap forward for regional families across Australia seeking access to education. Ericsson’s management of NBN Co’s fixed wireless and Sky Muster™ satellite services allows more than 980,000 homes in regional and remote Australia to connect to broadband services.
The Sky Muster™ service has the potential to be a real game changer for many families. It will not only help teachers teach more effectively but also create a more unified school unit through online video, additional bandwidth for families and the ability for everyone to be online at the same time.
“As we extend our strategic partnership with NBN Co, we look forward to continuing the delivery of fixed wireless and satellite services to regional and rural Australia. The availability of ubiquitous broadband to homes and businesses across Australia will help to bridge the digital divide and support economic and community growth.”
- Emilio Romeo, Managing Director of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand
Ericsson Response: Connecting responders and partners to help people in need
When we think about emergency response, we often think of the need for food, shelter, water, or medicine. We never really think of what communication does for a community or for a person in the middle of a disaster zone. But imagine if it was your loved one whom you haven’t been able to talk to for a couple of weeks and don’t even know if they are alive or not.
In 2000, a small group of Ericsson employees had an idea: a volunteer program that would restore communications in natural disasters and humanitarian crises. Zoom forward 20 years and Ericsson Response, in coordination with the World Food Program, has brought internet and phone services to more than 40 disaster-affected communities, from the Philippines, to Sudan, Haiti, Sierra Leone and Bangladesh.
When Ericsson Response volunteers arrive in a disaster zone, their role is to enable temporary voice and data connectivity so that humanitarian relief agencies can quickly coordinate their relief efforts. Volunteers remain in the affected areas, enhancing and maintaining networks and equipment until local services have sufficiently recovered or until the temporary network capacity is no longer needed.
“Throughout my ten years at Ericsson, I have always tried to see the bigger picture in the work I perform each day. What keeps me motivated is how much of a positive impact telecommunications has all over the planet. Seeing the impact our support has on the communities on the ground makes the challenge worthwhile. For me, empathy and humanness are the two values I appreciate most within Ericsson.”
Michael Hanrahan, Technical Program Manager, Market Area South East Asia, Oceania and India, Ericsson Response Volunteer
Watch this video to learn more about Ericsson Response in action.
C-V2X: Connected road safety is just around the corner
Ericsson’s C-V2X (Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything) 5G technology platform aims to save lives by completely rethinking road safety. We partnered with Telstra, Lexus Australia and the local Victorian Government to complete a unique, Australian-first C-V2X trial that leverages the existing cellular network. C-V2X lets cars talk to the environment around them: from other cars to trucks, traffic lights, roadworks and even pedestrians, enabling a broader virtual awareness for the driver.
Ultimately the goal for C-V2X is to help cars ‘look around corners’ and ‘see’ if there is danger ahead. The system automatically adjusts vehicle features to adapt to local road or weather conditions, warns drivers if another vehicle is likely to run a red light and sends alerts of pedestrians or cyclists before they become visible.
Watch the on-demand webinar: Towards zero: Creating safer roads with Cellular-V2X.