EE has announced the deployment of its innovative ‘cell sleep’ technology on its 4G network, aiming to significantly reduce energy consumption. This new technology allows certain 4G LTE carriers to enter a low-power mode during times of low demand.
By using machine learning to analyze usage patterns at each site, EE can schedule these low-power periods, ensuring minimal disruption to service. Should demand unexpectedly increase, the affected site can quickly resume full power within seconds. Additionally, sites can enter a ‘deep sleep’ mode during times of extremely low demand, such as late at night, further conserving energy.
The introduction of this technology is expected to save up to 2 KWh per site daily, amounting to an impressive 4.5 million KWh annually across EE’s entire network. Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT, highlighted the potential for significant energy savings by aligning power consumption with network usage. He noted that the implementation of cell sleep technology at over 19,500 sites marks a crucial step in managing the surge in data consumption.
The concept of adjusting a mobile site’s power usage based on real-time demand is gaining traction within the industry. Advances in AI and machine learning have accelerated the adoption of such technologies. Ericsson, for instance, has showcased its sleep mode technology with Deutsche Telekom, underlining the growing interest and potential benefits of these energy-efficient solutions.
By adopting dynamic cell sleep technology, EE is not only optimizing its network operations but also contributing to more sustainable energy usage, setting a benchmark for other mobile operators.
