Figure 1: Effect of 5G stations on carbon emissions
Source Credit: CENGN (LINK)
At this point, we all know that carbon emissions are a global environmental problem. Loss of animal habitats, rise in sea levels, and extreme weather events are only a few of the devastating consequences of carbon emissions. The threat it poses on humans, animals, and our planet is exigent, but the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere continues to rise. Despite the economic slowdown from the pandemic, the global average atmospheric carbon dioxide level was 412.5 parts per million last year, the highest in history.
As many individuals are striving to lessen the greenhouse gases, corporations and industries should, too, decarbonize their sectors. Especially energy, transportation, and manufacturing areas need to strategize and rearrange to minimize the release of gases for they are the biggest carbon emitters. As a solution to reducing the carbon footprints in these industries, MIT Technology Review Insights in collaboration with Ericsson has explored in their white paper “Decarbonizing industries with connectivity & 5G” the use of cellular infrastructure: 5G.
5G is a fifth generation mobile network that enables higher data speeds, lower latency, more reliability, increased capability and availability; its advancement compared to the previous generations of mobile network can lead to higher efficiency and performance. In addition, it is expected to create 22 million jobs and 13.1 trillion dollars worth of goods and services by 2035 when its full economic impact would become evident. Global operators already deployed 5G in 2019, and more than 60 countries are currently in use of the new cellular network. But how does 5G affect the environment? How does it specifically impact energy, transportation, and manufacturing sectors?
Let’s first talk in relation to electricity and energy supply. Through an effort of replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, “the Exponential Roadmap19 estimates that adopting solar and wind energy could contribute nearly half of emissions reductions required by 2030” according to “Decarbonizing industries with connectivity & 5G.” However, the transformation to a volatile, widely dispersed energy source has caused difficulty in connecting to the main grid and a call for better storage and data distribution management. Adopting 5G could be one of the solutions since, as Professor Antonello Monti, Chair of Automation of Complex Power Systems in RWTH AACHEN University, stated, 5G could be an “intelligent connectivity at the grid’s edge.” Energy industries could operate more efficiently in local and main networks as well as connect the routers to all sensors and machines quickly.
As for the manufacturing sector, industries can reduce large amounts of carbon emissions in the process of shipping, distribution, and warehouse processes. In order to do so, Hosein Torabmostaedi, Hyperbat and Unipart Manufacturing’s digital and innovation manager, revealed that systems could be at the “backbone of the business to digitally manage interaction with the suppliers and customers.” The problem that arises is the size of data; however, this could also be solved with 5G infrastructure’s fast speed and bandwidth. With its various advantages that were mentioned earlier, industries can easily monitor all interconnected floors. In other words, 5G increases efficiency by “connecting the entire mixed-use warehouse, office, and production facility, gathering and analyzing data, and communicating actionable issues through a mobile alerting system” according to MIT Technology Review Insights.
Better visibility into the transportation networks can help decrease carbon footprints. However, transportation systems are still not entirely interconnected, and we are not yet at the level of reaching cross-system integration. In addition, information from topography and traffic need to be included, and as Tony Sandberg, director of e-mobility for the Scania Group, said, “To utilize the potential of all the collected data within each individual transport management system and to connect each one to every other, data must be shared between public and private transportation network platforms and new mobility private firms.” That is, we need 5G to improve data visibility and efficient mapping of public transportation networks to optimize traffic flow.
To recognize the severity of climate change and combat the increasing carbon emissions, there have been numerous regulations and new legislations that have guided industries toward a sustainable direction. Despite the effort they are showing, the three industries above have been struggling to do so in face of managing enormous amounts of data. 5G, therefore, is significant in its ability to increase efficiency in all sectors, helping to bring out the best performance and at the same time build a digital structure that helps reduce carbon emissions. It also reminds us again that technology is now not merely existing for the convenience of humans but also for the good of nature.
Q&A:
Anna: How does 5G increase efficiency by “connecting the entire mixed-use warehouse, office, and production facility, gathering and analyzing data, and communicating actionable issues through a mobile alerting system”?
David Hart at Ericsson’s 5G smart factory said, “they can take proactive views on the data” because “production crews know when materials are running out or whether machine downtime is exceeding their threshold.”
Jennah: The article mentions that there were “numerous regulations” and “new legislations” that were proposed regarding the creation of sustainable energy. Could you provide some examples about these reforms and how they relate to the development of 5G?
For example, I mentioned earlier in the article that industries are replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. In 2020, 260 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity was added to the power grid according to “Decarbonizing industries with connectivity & 5G.” However, electricity producers are facing difficulty in managing the unpredictable renewables, and the use of 5G can help control, such as by connecting them to all sensors and machines, for better efficiency.
Work Cited:
Dyton, Joe, et al. “What Is the Environmental Impact of 5G and How Is It Impacting the World?” Connected Real Estate Magazine, 21 Oct. 2021, connectedremag.com/das-in-building-wireless/5G/what-is-the-environmental-impact-of-5G-and-how-is-it-impacting-the-world/.
Insights, MIT Technology Review. 5G Can Help Industries Reduce Carbon Emissions, Says MIT Technology Review Insights, 20 Oct. 2021, www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/5G-can-help-industries-reduce-carbon-emissions-says-mit-technology-review-insights-301403825.html.
Insights, MIT Technology Review. “Decarbonizing Industries with Connectivity and 5G.” MIT Technology Review, MIT Technology Review, 21 Oct. 2021, www.technologyreview.com/2021/10/20/1037636/decarbonizing-industries-with-connectivity-and-5g/.
Osmanski, Stephanie. “How Do Carbon Emissions Affect the Environment?” Green Matters, Green Matters, 30 Mar. 2020, www.greenmatters.com/p/how-do-carbon-emissions-affect-environment.
“What Is 5G: Everything You Need to Know About 5G: 5G FAQ.” Qualcomm, 13 May 2021, www.qualcomm.com/5G/what-is-5G.
Sunmin Lee
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