Stepping Toward a Sustainable Future: WAA Released Sustainability in the Wi-Fi Industry White Paper

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - March 2, 2024) - On February 28, 2024, the white paper "SUSTAINABILITY IN THE Wi-Fi INDUSTRY" (hereinafter referred to as "the White Paper") was released at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event. The White Paper, drafted collaboratively by ABI Research and World Application Alliance (WAA) Green Energy Working Group, provides a in-depth analysis of sustainability issues within the Wi-Fi industry for the first time.

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In this era, the severity of the greenhouse effect is escalating. As surface temperatures rise, they would result in a slew of disastrous environmental consequences, ranging from scorching heatwaves, devastating droughts, and torrential rain, which would, in turn, not only damage homes, livelihoods, but also food security. Without action, global GDP could shrink by 18% by 2050. Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is key to halting and reversing the greenhouse effect. improving the energy efficiency of electronic devices is one of the significant measures to reduce GHG emissions. In the telecommunications sector, the electricity consumption of fixed networks is substantial. Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) is the most energy-intensive component within the entire fixed access network. In 2023, a total of 105.05 Terawatt Hours (TWh) of electricity was consumed by the world's 1.55 billion installed base of residential Wi-Fi Customer Premises Equipment (CPE). On its current trajectory, the annual energy consumption of Wi-Fi CPE is projected to more than double between 2023 and 2030, climbing to 215.14 TWh annually. Addressing the energy efficiency of CPE can significantly enhance the low-carbon sustainable development goals of access networks.

The White Paper analyzes policies, laws, regulations, and industry practices related to Wi-Fi industry sustainability in different regions, provides a detailed assessment of the energy consumption of broadband infrastructure, and proposes a series of effective methods to improve energy efficiency. The White Paper takes a cautiously optimistic attitude towards the future, summarizing the many challenges faced by the Wi-Fi industry's sustainability and offering specific recommendations.

There is significant variation in Wi-Fi industry sustainability practices across different regions. The White Paper provides analyses for the EU, North America, and Asia-Pacific regions. The EU has performed the best, having released the "Code of Conduct on Energy Consumption of Broadband Equipment" as early as 2021. The code of conduct sets maximum energy consumption limits for all types of end-user devices and network infrastructure in both on-state and idle-state, for which signatories must ensure that at least 90% of new equipment meets. To encourage continuous improvement in energy efficiency, these targets are updated annually, with the latest Version 8.1 released in 2023. In October 2023, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) also released a report on Sustainability Indicators for Electronic Communications Networks and Services, which set clear metrics for tracking the telecom industry's environmental impact. Of course, in addition to the EU level, many European countries and ISPs have also performed exceptionally well, such as France, Belgium, Finland, Germany, etc., which are not elaborated on here. The United States currently does not have federal or state legislation specifically addressing the energy consumption of broadband equipment. Instead, this work mainly relies on voluntary civilian constraints. Some major U.S. ISPs and CPE suppliers have signed the "Voluntary Agreement for Ongoing Improvement to The Energy Efficiency of Small Network Equipment" but this agreement is non-binding and lacks effective verification measures. As a result, the energy consumption of broadband infrastructure in North America has not seen significant improvements since 2015. The situation in the Asia-Pacific region is even more complex. The progress of different countries is uneven; for example, The government of Mainland China has outlined a comprehensive framework for meeting its climate commitments, including setting a 2030 date for Peak Carbon Emissions and a 2060 date for Carbon Neutrality. Operators have also set specific targets. For instance, in 2023, China Telecom led several Wi-Fi industry participants to establish the Green Project Group, aiming to improve the energy efficiency of broadband network equipment, enhance network efficiency, and reduce maintenance costs for consumers. From the analysis of these three regions, it is clear that policies related to Wi-Fi industry sustainability vary greatly between countries and regions, are fragmented, lack unified standards, and have insufficient regulatory and enforcement strength, making it difficult to form a unified driving force.

The prerequisite for solving this problem is to clarify the baseline data of current Wi-Fi-related broadband infrastructure energy consumption and to build reasonable assessment models. The White Paper thoroughly examines the energy consumption of CPEs, modems, Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL), Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial (HFC) networks, and Passive Optical Networks (PON). Among these, CPEs are the most energy-consuming devices in fixed network access. For FTTH (GPON) access, CPEs account for nearly 95% of the total power required. Therefore, the White Paper delves deeper into CPEs, detailing the power consumption of processors, memory, Ethernet interfaces, and Bluetooth modules, among others. The analysis reveals that CPE power consumption: (1) tends to rise with higher Wi-Fi protocol versions due to increased capabilities and capacities, often with new standards initially having low efficiency; (2) shows little difference between idle and active states; and (3) varies significantly among manufacturers, with similar-functioning Wi-Fi CPEs sometimes differing in energy consumption by up to 30%.

Based on the analysis of Wi-Fi energy consumption efficiency, the White Paper also provides specific recommendations for improvement. The White Paper suggests strategies for energy-efficient product design and minimalistic design approaches, as well as software optimization strategies including AI-powered Wi-Fi sensing technology and dynamic sleep modes.

Currently, there are two main issues in the field of sustainability for Wi-Fi. The first is the lack of unified global standards, and the second is that existing energy consumption standards for Wi-Fi equipment are solely focused on energy use without considering the impact on user experience. The white paper suggests that an important step in sustainable for the Wi-Fi is to promote the establishment of globally unified energy consumption standards for Wi-Fi equipment that also guarantee user experience.

With global collaboration, innovative technological solutions, and the joint efforts of consumers, businesses, and governments, WAA is confident that they can build a greener, more efficient, and sustainable digital future.

WAA：
https://www.waa-alliance.com/
Amanda Shi
shibaiqing@waa-alliance.com

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