A technical look at 5G energy consumption and performance
To understand this, we need to look closer at the base station power consumption characteristics (Figure 3). The model shows that there is significant energy consumption in the
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.
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.
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.
China Mobile has tried using lower cost deployments of MIMO antennas, specifically 32T32R and sometimes 8T8R rather than 64T64R, according to MTN. However, Li says 5G base stations are carrying five times the traffic as when equipped with only 4G, pushing up power consumption.
PDF version includes complete article with source references.
Get technical specifications, ROI analysis tools, and pricing information for our BESS integration and energy storage solutions.
Av. de la Innovación 15
28042 Madrid, Spain
+34 91 133 2769
Monday - Friday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM CET