A Greener Future With 5G

The future of telecom must be sustainable, and Dr. Philipp Schulte, CEO of G+D Mobile Security, believes 5G technology can play a big role.

From a technology perspective, there is little doubt that 5G, as the new mobile standard, will be a key driver of digitalization. However, 5G networks also have the potential to provide answers to one of the greatest challenges of our time—creating a more sustainable future. What can the technology contribute to climate protection?

The fifth generation of mobile communications has not entered the technology stage without criticism. However, initial concerns about the high energy and resource consumption of 5G networks have now turned into a real spark of hope, as the technology has the potential to bring major advances for a more sustainable way of life.

The 5G standard provides a much more efficient data highway of the future, using innovative technologies to save more emissions and energy than its predecessors. The transition to 5G is therefore particularly important in terms of conserving resources and reducing energy requirements—not least because the number of use cases is increasing as digitalization progresses, making a decisive difference.

Digitalization and sustainability go hand in hand. After all, it is only with increasing connectivity and the availability of large amounts of data that opportunities arise to significantly optimize energy and resource consumption across all sectors.

A look at the real world shows that this development is no longer wishful thinking. Even if 5G is not yet in widespread use, the success and impact of the new standard can already be seen in the first applications to emerge.

More Data, Less Energy

When compared directly to 4G, the 5G standard is many times more efficient. Because devices on the mobile network will be able to send and receive more information per unit of energy, their power consumption will be significantly reduced, and their battery life will be extended. In this way, mobile operators save energy and reduce emissions, while 5G provides them with the technology to handle the expected increase in data traffic. Significant improvements will also be made to latency. The lower the latency, the better systems and machines can be configured to do their jobs. As a result, they can use resources more efficiently, avoid unnecessary computations, and optimize their power profiles so that no energy is wasted. Last but not least, low latency also enables instantaneous and therefore precise remote control of machines and real-time data transmission. These are fundamental capabilities that make 5G an enabler for automated and more efficient plant control.

By using sensors on the 5G network, companies can monitor the status of systems such as production machinery, elevators, wind turbines, and trucks in near real time. By accurately scheduling maintenance and avoiding downtime, they can reduce energy requirements and lower operating costs. Sensors and IoT-enabled devices not only play a critical role in these use cases, they also enable the collection of data in the field and feed the collected information into analytics platforms.

However, sensors, IoT and smart devices will also play an increasingly important role outside the industrial and commercial sectors, contributing to the widespread adoption of the Smart Grid, the intelligent electricity network of the future. Operators also rely on the collection and exchange of large volumes of data to manage peak loads and respond flexibly to changing energy supply conditions. 5G provides a robust infrastructure for the necessary communications.

Industry 4.0 With 5G

The new mobile communications standard also promises a new level of efficiency in increasingly digital and networked production facilities. Fast data transmission, a high-performance infrastructure, and low latency are crucial for the further digitalization of industrial production—prerequisites that 5G delivers, thus opening the door to networked systems, automated transport systems and efficient production processes. For the first time, manufacturing companies will have a technology that can handle even critical communications in real-time, where precision and fine-tuning of systems are key factors.

5G is the next big step towards hyper-connectivity, ensuring seamless communication between individual machines, complex systems, and people. This will enable the implementation of far more efficient production chains than is possible with 4G. In terms of environmental footprint, 5G will enable companies to tailor processes to specific needs, avoiding surpluses and unnecessary equipment downtime. In this way, the technology reduces energy requirements and saves CO₂ emissions.

Smart Agriculture and Smart Cities

The agriculture and food industry plays a central role in efforts to achieve a more sustainable and resource-efficient way of life. The smart agriculture approach uses 5G IoT sensors to collect data for better decision-making—for example, by monitoring soil moisture or determining the optimal time to fertilize. The 5G standard also enables the use of drones to analyze green spaces, automated machinery, and animal health monitoring.

When harnessed to its full potential, the applications for 5G in Agriculture 2.0 are numerous: from 5G collars for tracking cows, goats, and other livestock, to smart barns with intelligent milking robots and smart irrigation systems in the fields. As a result, farmers will know exactly when, where, and for what they need to use the right number of resources, and operations will become much more energy efficient.

However, 5G technology can contribute to greater sustainability not only in rural areas, but also in cities; it is seen as a driving force behind the concept of the smart city of the future. After all, when millions of devices are connected, communicating in real time, and creating massive flows of information, fast upload and download times and low latency are critical.

5G networks can easily handle this immense density of devices, paving the way for the smart city where fundamental decisions are made based on data analytics to optimize energy consumption, traffic, and infrastructure, or even waste management. Cameras, sensors, mobile devices—in the smart city, they all come together to form an intelligent network that provides the basis for more efficient energy management, better administration, and better environmental protection—thus improving the quality of life for residents. This means that sustainable solutions are available in almost all areas: energy-efficient lighting systems for road traffic, garbage cans that use sensors to independently measure fill levels and have functions for automatic waste separation, or office buildings that precisely adapt their energy management to actual usage and requirements. The ultimate goal is to reduce emissions and power consumption. With 5G technology, smart cities are no longer a vision of the future.

The applications for the new cellular standard are already numerous and will increase significantly in the future. Increased connectivity and simplified access to digital services and products will have a major impact on how we optimize our energy and resource consumption across all sectors. In this way, 5G sets the course for true sustainability.