How Much Power Does 5G Base Station Consume? | HuiJue
The average 5G base station consumes 2.5-4 kW daily – equivalent to powering 40 refrigerators simultaneously. Three factors amplify this: Operators now spend 20-40% of
Engineers designing 5G base stations must contend with energy use, weight, size, and heat, which impact design decisions. 5G New Radio (NR) uses Multi-User massive-MIMO (MU-MIMO), Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), and beamforming with millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum up to 71 GHz.
A power-supply unit suitable for 5G gNodeB installations requires a heat sink. Power consumption is one major reason for these changes. Electricity currently is 5% to 6% of a mobile operator's opex, according to MTN Consulting [Ref. 1].
Often referred to as the brain center, this includes: Baseband Unit (BBU): Handles baseband signal processing. Remote Radio Unit (RRU): Converts signals to radio frequencies for transmission. Active Antenna Unit (AAU): Integrates RRU and antenna for 5G-era efficiency. 2. Power Supply System
For example, 4G radios are always on (e.g., transmitting reference signals to detect users), even when traffic levels don't warrant it, such as in the middle of the night. 5G base stations can analyze traffic patterns and determine periods of low data-traffic, when it may be suitable to shut down into a “sleep mode.”
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