The News: Ericsson 5G energy efficiency portfolio updates to its radio access network (RAN) portfolio with solutions that address the 5G rollout and sustainability goals of communications service providers (CSPs), validates energy efficiency as a key selling point. The portfolio additions are designed to deliver sizeable energy savings and up to ten-fold capacity increases – with minimal or no added footprint. Read the Ericsson Press Release here.
Ericsson 5G Energy Efficiency Portfolio Updates Validates Energy Efficiency as Key Selling Point for 5G Networking Solutions
Analyst Take: I was pleased to see Ericsson’s 5G energy efficiency portfolio updates and believe the focus on energy efficiency will play a significant role moving forward as organizations focus more on sustainability and their corporate ESG efforts overall.
Key highlights of the Ericsson 5G energy efficiency portfolio updates include:
- Seven new RAN products and solutions led by Radio 4490 enhancements, a dual-band radio that is developed to deliver 25 percent lower power consumption and lesser weight compared to the current product.
- Portfolio additions also include compact active-passive antennas, high-capacity ultra-lightweight Massive MIMO radios, and software features for energy savings and enhanced 5G performance.
- Powered by next-generation Ericsson Silicon, the additions target the expansion of lower-footprint 5G sites, boosting bandwidth, energy efficiency and user experience.
Of note related to energy efficiency considerations, Ericsson’s latest portfolio additions provide the Interleaved AIR 3218 product that Ericsson asserts leads the market in low height and weight metrics which can enable Massive MIMO rollouts without enlarging visual antenna footprint. Expanded Deep Sleep mode software for new radios and Massive MIMO can provide consumption of up to 70 percent less power per radio during low traffic hours.
Ericsson is shrewdly advancing the competitiveness of its 5G products and solutions by emphasizing portfolio-wide energy efficiency benefits. Across the mobile ecosystem, I see energy efficiency as a top-priority selection criteria for 5G networking offerings, especially as CSPs and organizations are making strategic commitments to fulfilling their corporate ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) objectives.
I believe Ericsson Silicon provides a long-term competitive edge against rivals that must rely on third-party silicon suppliers since it can increase the risk of supply chain interruption. By making its range of System on a Chip (SoC) in-house, Ericsson has more control over its 5G portfolio development and direction, especially in the co-design of Ericsson Silicon with software and hardware that stress delivering more energy-efficient and lightweight products with higher performance.
Key Takeaways on Ericsson’s 5G Portfolio Energy Efficiency Advances
Ericsson’s emphasis on portfolio-wide energy efficiency improvements specifically aligns with ongoing CSP emphasis on fulfilling clean energy and sustainability objectives. For example, Vodafone is lobbying the UK government to advance nationwide sustainability goals after working with Ericsson to improve 5G network efficiency capabilities across the London portion of its network. Also, T-Mobile earned industry-wide clean energy accolades by executing on its 100% goal of sourcing all its renewable energy by the end of 2021. I anticipate that Ericsson gains a swift sales and marketing boost by assuring its 5G portfolio is supporting the stringent, organization wide ESG goals of CSPs globally.
Disclosure: Futurum Research is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Other insights from Futurum Research:
Ericsson Goes Long on Open Network Innovation with $6.2 Billion Acquisition of Vonage
T-Mobile Hits 100% Renewable Energy Goal: Boosts Sustainability Credentials of Mobile Industry
Vodafone and Ericsson Attain 5G Network Energy Efficiency Breakthroughs
Image Credit: Counterpoint Research
Author Information
Ron is an experienced, customer-focused research expert and analyst, with over 20 years of experience in the digital and IT transformation markets, working with businesses to drive consistent revenue and sales growth.
Ron holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from University of Nevada — Las Vegas and a Bachelor of Arts in political science/government from William and Mary.
