LIVE FROM HUAWEI GLOBAL MBB FORUM 2021, DUBAI: Ryan Ding, president of Huawei’s Carrier Business Group (pictured), stressed the industry must sharpen up adoption of more energy-efficient network technologies as 5G networks take off.

Ding explained the environmenatal concerns are becoming more pressing due to the rise in data traffic 5G is expected to bring.

The Huawei executive cited predictions average data traffic per user/month will hit 600GB by 2030, potentially resulting in a tenfold rise in network energy consumption if efficiency remains unchanged.

Ding argued operators must quickly move to networks with higher performance and lower energy consumption if the industry is to meet greenhouse gas reduction commitments.

He outlined Huawei’s range of products and services which address power consumption and claimed 100 operators worldwide had now deployed its low-carbon equipment, reducing emissions by 18.1 million tonnes.

Ding noted early deployments of 5G networks in countries including China, South Korea and Kuwait highlighted the urgency of boosting network efficiency, stating when penetration reaches 20 per cent, it triggers “a positive cycle of user growth, business returns and network construction”.