The energy consumption of the fifth generation (5G) of mobile networks is one of the major concerns of the telecom industry. However, there is not currently an accurate and tractable approach to evaluate 5G base stations' (BSs') power consumption.
The power consumption of a single 5G station is 2.5 to 3.5 times higher than that of a single 4G station. The main factor behind this increase in 5G power consumption is the high power usage of the active antenna unit (AAU). Under a full workload, a single station uses nearly 3700W.
Although the absolute value of the power consumption of 5G base stations is increasing, their energy efficiency ratio is much lower than that of 4G stations. In other words, with the same power consumption, the network capacity of 5G will be as dozens of times larger than 4G, so the power consumption per bit is sharply reduced.
The main factor behind this increase in 5G power consumption is the high power usage of the active antenna unit (AAU). Under a full workload, a single station uses nearly 3700W. This necessitates a number of updates to existing networks, such as more powerful supplies and increased performance output from supporting facilities.
Iran's Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) recently announced plans to award 5G licences in the 3.5GHz band, while rival MNO Mobile Communication Company of Iran (MCI) is expected to announce its own commercial 5G launch in the near future.
State-owned MCI has expanded its 5G coverage with a launch on the island of Kish, off the coast of southern Iran. The launch coincided with the KITEX 2022 International Exhibition which has been taking place this week on the island. MCI first introduced 5G services in Tehran in March 2021.
In the National Conference on Iranian 5G Telecommunications, Irancell CEO declared that the number of the company's 5G sites will double by the end of 2024.
Operators have invested in broadening the reach of their LTE networks, which has increased network capacity and improved the quality of mobile broadband services. The country is also looking to 5G, with services having been launched by MCI and MTN Irancell in early 2021.
The research on 5G base station load forecasting technology can provide base station operators with a reasonable arrangement of energy supply guidance, and realize the energy saving and emission reduction of 5G base stations.
According to the energy consumption characteristics of the base station, a 5G base station energy consumption prediction model based on the LSTM network is constructed to provide data support for the subsequent BSES aggregation and collaborative scheduling.
5G networks divide coverage areas into smaller zones called cells, enabling devices to connect to local base stations via radio. Each station connects to the broader telephone network and the Internet through high-speed optical fiber or wireless backhaul.
In the 5G technology framework, the 5G base station comprises macro and micro variants. The micro base station serves indoor blind spots with minimal power consumption. The macro base station exhibits greater potential for demand response. This section primarily analyzes the current mainstream commercial 5G macro base stations.
In conjunction with 5G NR, private base stations (BS) can support connectivity for different spectrum bands (sub-GHz, 1 to 6 GHz, or mmWave). The 5G base station products must pass all of the test requirements prior to their release. Otherwise, the products are not 3GPP-compatible or appropriate to implement in a network.
This article describes the different classes or types of 5G NR Base Stations (BS), including BS Type 1-C, BS Type 1-H, BS Type 1-O, and BS Type 2-O. 5G NR (New Radio) is the latest wireless cellular standard, succeeding LTE/LTE-A. It adheres to 3GPP specifications from Release 15 onwards. In 5G NR, the Base Station (BS) is referred to as a gNB.
5G networks divide coverage areas into smaller zones called cells, enabling devices to connect to local base stations via radio. Each station connects to the broader telephone network and the Internet through high-speed optical fiber or wireless backhaul.
Compared with 4G networks, 5G not only increases power consumption by more than three times, but also doubles the demand for 5G base stations due to the attenuation of coverage. Therefore, for operators, 5G base stations The high power consumption has even become the primary reason for restricting 5G network construction.
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