The Energize project aims to use Open RAN as a way to optimize network management, foster innovation, and reduce energy consumption in radio access networks.
The new project aims to significantly reduce the energy consumption of Ireland’s mobile networks and pave the way for a sustainable 6G network.
The Energize project aims to reduce radio access network (RAN) energy usage and address the growing demands of the telecommunications industry. A 2021 GSMA Intelligence report claims that over 70% of the energy consumed in cellular networks is RAN.
To address this issue, researchers at Connect, the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) research center at Trinity College Dublin, are working with multinational companies to address the energy challenges associated with future networks.
Researchers believe that Open RAN technology has the potential to significantly reduce energy consumption. Open RAN differs from traditional networks in that different vendors can build different parts of the network’s infrastructure.
Connect said Open RAN can increase competition, reduce costs and foster innovation, while using AI to optimize and automate network management. Last year, Connect revealed it was leading a €600,000-worth Open RAN project aimed at creating the hardware and software needed to enable multiple companies to share infrastructure. I made it.
Energize project coordinator Professor Marco Ruffini said the goal was to tackle energy efficiency challenges “head on.”
“Open RAN networks offer the flexibility and scalability needed to facilitate the rapid deployment of advanced communications services and hold great promise for the future of communications,” Ruffini said. “Our approach aims to integrate AI to optimize these networks and make them environmentally sustainable.”
The Energize project includes support from Intel and experts from Tyndall National Institute, Software Radio System, VMware, and Dell. The project is being funded by a €2.3 million grant from Ireland’s Disruptive Technology Innovation Fund (DTIF).
Towards the end of 2023, 12 projects received a total of €58.8 million from the fund to develop various technologies for eventual commercial application. One of those projects is the National Space Subsystems and Payloads Initiative, which aims to support the development of Ireland’s own sustainable space industry.
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