ECOLOGICAL IMPACT OF THE 5G.

MOBILE NETWORK

OPERATORS AND

CUSTOMERS.

5G necessarily impacts the environment. Because as much as it decongests 4G, it accelerates the obsolescence of its standards and its equipment. Even if they are functional and operational. And of course, the difference between the different generations of technologies is on power and performance. Thus, since January 1, 2022, operators must notify each consumer of the amount of data consumed and the weight of greenhouse gases.

Ecological impact of 5G, the usability of 5G technology.

5G is the fifth generation of mobile communication. It increases performance tenfold. Thus it multiplies by 20 the flow, by 10 the transmission time and makes the communication more reliable. On the other hand, 5G invests a rather vast field of applications. And it should allow the development of the digitalization of society. In particular, 5G allows the effectiveness of autonomous cars, the development of telemedicine and the deployment of smart networks

5G more efficient than 4G.

According to the operator Orange, 5G is the first network that integrates energy and environmental issues from its design. At least, 5G requires half the energy of 4G at its launch, 10 times less by 2025 and 20 times less by 2030.

Ecological impact of 5G.

According to a joint study by ARCEP and ADEME, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency, 5G will allow, according to scenarios to be realized by 2028, up to ten times less energy consumption than in 2020. Or a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, corresponding GHG, up to eight times less GHG emissions than in 2020.

Mobile-first.

According to the 2022 We Are Social/Hootsuite report, 92.1% of the world’s population connects to the Internet via the smartphone. Next come laptops and desktop computers, 71.2% and tablets, 28.2%. Even closer to home, 86.5% of French people connect via their smartphones. In short, this mobilefirst trend is growing year after year. Consequently, this evolution in Internet consumption is increasing the energy bill of operators. Insofar as soliciting more relay antennas is largely more energy-consuming than going through the wired infrastructure. In fact, according to the manufacturer Ericsson, it is 200 GB of mobile internet per month for one user in five in the world by 2025 with 5G.

Mobile network consumption.

With more throughput, less latency and more network capacity, users will consume more data. And it’s a safe bet that they will turn to bandwidth-hungry applications. In this case, video streaming, video games or virtual and augmented reality. Moreover, South Korea is a prime example of this type of operation. Because 5G covers 93% of the territory since 2019. And its use is clearly as described above. So 5G subscribers consume 7 times more virtual reality content and services, 3.5 times more streaming video and 2.7 times more video games.

The necessary renewal of mobiles.

A smartphone produces 80% of its energy expenditure during its manufacture. And 5G already counts 213 million subscriptions in December 2021, including more than 190 million in Asia alone. These are the figures from the latest Ericsson Mobility Report.

So the popularization of 5G also means the renewal of hundreds of millions of 4G smartphones. And therefore, even more video streaming and connected objects. By the way, a study by The Shift Project, reports that online video is equivalent to the overall CO2 emissions of Spain in 2018.

Impact environnemental de la 5G, les projections d’un marché porteur.

Moreover, this global market is heading for one billion subscribers in the course of 2022.

Replacement of equipment on the operator side.

Obviously the transition to 5G requires first the installation of new antennas in the 3.5 GHz frequency band on the French territory. Then, the equipment to operate this technology must be produced. And this manufacturing step will contribute to the depletion of non-renewable resources such as water and fossil fuels, pollute water but also destroy the soil by extracting minerals. Finally, it will produce emissions of greenhouse gases and thus aggravate global warming. Explain us Frédéric Bordage, Founder of the website Green IT.fr.

Ecological impact of 5G, smart network antennas.

At constant use, 5G will not consume more energy than 4G. This is what Orange CEO Stéphane Richard said during his wishes to the press. Indeed, according to their design, the new 5G antennas emit only when the terminals request them. They are smart antennas called massive MIMO, multiple input, multiple output.

Moreover, the optimization of the network, the efficiency of the transmitters, the increase in the number of users, the sharing of infrastructures also condition this better management of the resource.

Network deployment.

Nevertheless, the business expects to increase the energy expenditure of its 4G mobile network soon. Because in the framework of the mobile New Deal, it must cover white areas. And finally, it must also increase its capacity in dense areas to meet the increase in mobile traffic. Already, the telecom sector is considering the probable discontinuation of 2G and 3G if necessary.

Ecological impact of 5G, the fears of civil society.

Two members of the think tank The Shift Project published an article against 5G at the beginning of the year in the newspaper Le Monde. Because they militate for an economy that frees itself from the carbon constraint. And we remember without forcing the memory of the blows against the 5G of the astrophysicist and influencer Aurélien Barreau in February 2020.

However, for the moment, we have only conjectures and scenarios.

The search for alternative solutions.

Nevertheless, the networks are multiplying their efforts in the search for alternative solutions. For example, changing the standard through simple software updates. And thus avoid the renewal of operator equipment and user terminals. However, the research is slow to produce tangible results. Network virtualization is one of these experiments.

Ecological impact of 5G, need for regulation and individual freedom.

For example, we plan to be able to collect information from operators that will make it possible to provide a sort of green barometer for consumers linked to usage. Sébastien Soriano, Chairman of ARCEP, the French regulatory authorit Selectronic communications and postal services.

The precept of relationship marketing.

Nous envisageons, par exemple, de pouvoir collecter des informations auprès des opérateurs qui permettront de fournir une sorte de baromètre vert aux consommateurs lié à des usages. Sébastien Soriano, Président de l’ARCEP, Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et des Postes.

So, it can be argued that it is the users who drive the choices of 5G development. But in 2022, consumers are essentially in the various communities of social networks. Likewise, influencers are not totally immune to the solicitations of brands and consortiums.

It is almost a philosophical debate and in any case a question of individual freedom. 5G is a progress that is not bad in itself. It all depends on how you use it. Afterwards, everyone is free not to participate in the digital overconsumption. Stéphane Richard, Orange CEO.