Singtel said that the Air 3268 radio is expected to save up to 18% more energy and weighs about 40% less than earlier generations of 5G radios
Singapore operator Singtel has deployed the Ericsson Air 3268 radio cell to its 5G network with the aim of being more energy efficient, the telco said in a release.
The deployment is part of Singtel’s ongoing sustainability and decarbonization measures towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Asian carrier said that the Air 3268 radio is expected to save up to 18% more energy and weighs about 40% less than earlier generations of 5G radios. It also makes a 5G site 76% lighter than a 4G site that typically requires multiple radios, while providing the same network capacity. Singtel also noted that the radio is designed to provide real-time channel estimation and precise beamforming to accelerate 5G mid-band spectrum deployment and boost capacity, coverage and connectivity speeds.
Anna Yip, CEO of the telco’s consumer division, said: “We are always looking for ways to deliver Singapore’s greenest 5G network while further reducing our carbon footprint. By integrating energy-efficient technologies into our operations and infrastructure, we aim to build a better, more sustainable future, as we continue to deliver the best network performance and user experience to consumers and enterprises through our 5G solutions and services.”
“With an optimized network, even end-users will be able to conserve energy on their mobile devices, making them part of the movement of building a better future together,” the executive added.
“Deploying our energy-efficient Air 3268 radio as part of Singtel’s 5G network is a significant step in our larger sustainability plan, which is focused on breaking the energy curve by activating energy-saving software, building 5G with precision and operating the site infrastructure intelligently. This will serve to manage mobile traffic growth while reducing energy consumption,” said Martin Wiktorin, head of Ericsson Singapore and Philippines.
Earlier this year, Singtel said its 5G Standalone network already covered over 95% of the country’s territory. Singtel noted that this milestone had been achieved more than three years ahead of the regulatory target for this level of coverage, which is at the end of 2025.
Singtel’s 5G SA network now covers more than 1,300 outdoor locations and over 400 building across Singapore.
Singtel announced the launch of its 5G SA network in the country in May of 2021. The carrier had partnered with Korean company Samsung to launch 5G SA network, which runs on 3.5 GHz spectrum.
Singtel had initially launched its 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) network in September of 2020, using spectrum in the 3.5 GHz frequency as well as existing 2.1 GHz spectrum.
The carrier also has said it is using 28 GHz mmWave spectrum, in addition to the 3.5 GHz and 2.1 GHz bands, to boost its 5G deployment in Singapore.
In September last year, Swedish vendor Ericsson said it was powering Singtel’s 5G SA network with 5G radio access products and cloud-native, dual-mode 5G Core network solutions.
