5G base stations use a lot more energy than 4G
Telcos spend on average 5% to 6% of their operating
Setting up a 5G base station is expensive, with costs ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 per site. This price includes hardware, installation, site rental, and maintenance. Urban areas often have higher costs due to land prices and infrastructure challenges.
However, Li says 5G base stations are carrying five times the traffic as when equipped with only 4G, pushing up power consumption. The carrier is seeking subsidies from the Chinese government to help with the increased energy usage.
“A 5G base station is generally expected to consume roughly three times as much power as a 4G base station. And more 5G base stations are needed to cover the same area,” -IEEE Spectrum, 5G's Waveform Is a Battery Vampire
Estimates suggest that operating expenses (Opex) for 5G will be 30-50% higher than for 4G. This increase is due to higher energy consumption, increased site maintenance, and the complexity of managing a dense network of small cells and new frequency bands.
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