Concept for telecom network production sites towards sustainable and energy-efficient operation

Abstract

Current trends regarding telco network equipment evolution and changing paradigms in energy generation and power supply allow for a re-design of telco network production sites: On the one hand general-purpose hardware together with design ideas borrowed from IT data centers enter the telecom's world and on the other hand concepts of own and de-centralized electrical energy generation and power supply are maturing. As an example, parts of a transport network element are implemented on general-purpose server hardware using virtualization techniques. Calculations and measurements show that in particular the pooling of network functions allows for improved energy efficiency. The results of an economical assessment of different cases for the design of and co-location in future network production sites using such general-purpose systems as well as own and renewable de-centralized power generation and supply yields energy-related cost advantages for the involved parties.