Can a 5G base station promote green development of mobile communication facilities?

However, a significant reduction of ca. 42.8% can be achieved by optimizing the power structure and base station layout strategy and reducing equipment power consumption. Overall, this study provides a clear approach to assess the environmental impact of the 5G base station and will promote the green development of mobile communication facilities.

Should China upgrade to low-carbon base stations?

These outcomes demonstrate that upgrading to low-carbon base stations not only ensures economic feasibility but also delivers significant environmental and public health benefits, reinforcing the strategic value of decarbonizing China’s communication infrastructure.

Can a low-carbon base station improve public health?

The results of this study indicate that low-carbon upgrades of base stations can not only significantly reduce the operational costs and carbon emissions of communication systems but also reduce pollution and bring considerable public health benefits. However, this transformation still needs to overcome multidimensional challenges.

How does a communication base station upgrade affect emissions?

(D) Total emissions of major pollutants (CO 2, NOₓ, SO 2, and PM 2.5) generated by the electricity consumption of communication base stations before and after the upgrade. Paired bars with the same color represent pre- and post-upgrade comparisons for the same pollutant. Emissions of all pollutants are significantly reduced after the upgrade.

Can low-carbon communication base stations improve local energy use?

Therefore, low-carbon upgrades to communication base stations can effectively improve the economics of local energy use while reducing local environmental pollution and gaining public health benefits. For this research, we recommend further in-depth exploration in three areas for the future.

Will communication base stations reduce electricity consumption?

Our findings revealed that the nationwide electricity consumption would reduce to 54,101.60 GWh due to the operation of communication base stations (95% CI: 53,492.10–54,725.35 GWh) (Figure 2 C), marking a reduction of 35.23% compared with the original consumption. We also predicted the reduction of pollutant emissions after the upgrade.