Singtel announced the deployment of the Ericsson AIR 3268 green radio cells to its 5G network across Singapore as part of the green strategy.
This deployment of green radio cells is part of Singtel’s sustainability and decarbonisation measures towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Singtel says the Capex will pave the way for the deployment of more such radio cells across the country to enhance its 5G coverage.
The investment in AIR 3268 radio is expected to save up to 18 percent more energy and weighs about 40 percent less than earlier generations of 5G radios. At 12kg, its proportions simplify upgrades and make new site acquisitions and installations easy on towers, rooftops, poles and walls.
The innovative radio cell from Ericsson makes a 5G site 76 percent lighter than a 4G site that typically requires multiple radios, while providing the same network capacity. This reduces Singtel’s overall 5G network energy consumption that is already up to 58 percent lower than 4G today.
The AIR 3268 is designed to provide real-time channel estimation and ultra-precise beamforming – or elimination of undesirable noise interferences – to accelerate 5G mid-band spectrum deployment, and boost capacity, coverage and connectivity speeds.
“By integrating energy-efficient technologies into our operations and infrastructure, we aim to build a better, more sustainable future, as we continue to deliver the best network performance and user experience through our 5G solutions and services,” Anna Yip, Chief Executive Officer, Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said.
Since 2016, Singtel has implemented efficient power usage techniques such as energy-efficient radio and optimizing network algorithms at over 99 percent of Singtel’s base stations in Singapore, resulting in energy savings of approximately 1,012 MWh/year and GHG emissions avoidance of 413 tCO2e/year.
Singtel has also switched over 10 conventional uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units at its Singapore data centers to a modular system to optimize energy utilization based on the number of power modules in operation. This initiative has resulted in energy savings of approximately 767 MWh/year and GHG emissions avoidance of 313 tCO2e/year – equivalent to powering 170 4-room HDB flats for a year.
Singtel is currently conducting trials of Artificial Intelligence powered MIMO sleep mode to further reduce energy consumption. Singtel has implemented dynamic spectrum sharing to run its 4G and 5G services simultaneously on the same frequencies via a dual-mode core network, which has eliminated the need for additional new energy-consuming hardware and the operation of two separate core networks.
It regularly replaces and overhauls its chiller units and related mechanical and engineering equipment at its various exchanges and office buildings in Singapore. To date, Singtel has replaced 25 out of its 28 chillers, with the remaining three chillers slated for upgrades by the end of next year. This has resulted in energy savings of approximately 1,244 MWh/year and GHG emissions avoidance of 508 tCO2e/year – equivalent to powering 276 4-room HDB flats for a year.
