This work presents an estimation of the global electricity usage that can be ascribed to Communication Technology (CT) between 2010 and 2030. The scope is three scenarios for use and production of consumer devices, communication networks and data centers. Three different scenarios, best, expected, and worst, are set up, which include annual numbers of sold devices, data traffic and electricity intensities/efficiencies. The most significant trend, regardless of scenario, is that the proportion of use-stage electricity by consumer devices will decrease and will be transferred to the networks and data centers. Still, it seems like wireless access networks will not be the main driver for electricity use. The analysis shows that for the worst-case scenario, CT could use as much as 51% of global electricity in 2030. This will happen if not enough improvement in electricity efficiency of wireless access networks and fixed access networks/data centers is possible. However, until 2030, globally-generated renewable electricity is likely to exceed the electricity demand of all networks and data centers. Nevertheless, the present investigation suggests, for the worst-case scenario, that CT electricity usage could contribute up to 23% of the globally released greenhouse gas emissions in 2030.

/pdf/on-global-electricity-usage-of-communication-technology-3s4ck5m1i1.pdf

On Global Electricity Usage of Communication Technology: Trends to 2030

This article presents estimations of the energy and carbon footprint of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Entertainment & Media (E&M) sectors globally for 2010–2015 including a forecast to 2020. It builds on three previous global studies (2007, 2011, and 2018) and a Swedish study (2015) by the same authors. The study is based on an extensive dataset which combines primary and secondary data for operational (use stage) energy consumption and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) for the included sub-sectors, including energy and carbon footprint data from about 100 of the major global manufacturers, operators, and ICT and E&M service providers. The data set also includes sales statistics and forecasts for equipment to estimate product volumes in addition to published LCA studies and primary manufacturing data to estimate the embodied carbon footprint of products. The result shows that the ICT and E&M sectors have turned their previously growing footprints into shrinking ones despite a continuous increase in subscriptions and data traffic. Furthermore, the results of this study are also indicating that these footprints are significantly smaller than previously forecasted.

The Energy and Carbon Footprint of the Global ICT and E&M Sectors 2010–2015

Over the last decade, concerns have been raised about increases in the electricity used by information technologies, other consumer electronic devices, data centres, and to a much lesser degree, Internet distribution networks. At the same time, ‘smart’ innovations are widely anticipated to help reduce energy demand across diverse sectors of society. Yet such potential savings, as well as the increasing use of other digital services, are predicated upon continued expansion of digital infrastructures. This paper focuses on the phenomenal growth in Internet traffic, as a trend with important implications for energy demand. It outlines an agenda to better understand how data demand is changing. Drawing on findings from our own research in combination with secondary data analysis, we examine the alignment of peak demand for electricity and data. Peaks in data appear to fall later in the evening, reflecting the use of online entertainment, but this is far from fixed. Overall, the paper argues that a better understanding of how everyday practices are shifting, in concert with the provision and design of online services, could provide a basis for the policies and initiatives needed to mitigate the most problematic projections of Internet energy use.

Digitalisation, energy and data demand: The impact of Internet traffic on overall and peak electricity consumption

In order to understand the electricity use of Internet services, it is important to have accurate estimates for the average electricity intensity of transmitting data through the Internet (measured as kilowatt-hours per gigabyte [kWh/GB]). This study identifies representative estimates for the average electricity intensity of fixed-line Internet transmission networks over time and suggests criteria for making accurate estimates in the future. Differences in system boundary, assumptions used, and year to which the data apply significantly affect such estimates. Surprisingly, methodology used is not a major source of error, as has been suggested in the past. This article derives criteria to identify accurate estimates over time and provides a new estimate of 0.06 kWh/GB for 2015. By retroactively applying our criteria to existing studies, we were able to determine that the electricity intensity of data transmission (core and fixed-line access networks) has decreased by half approximately every 2 years since 2000 (for developed countries), a rate of change comparable to that found in the efficiency of computing more generally.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jiec.12630

Electricity Intensity of Internet Data Transmission: Untangling the Estimates

Review: Lessons learned - Review of LCAs for ICT products and services

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is growing throughout society, and new products and solutions are developed at an increasing rate. To enable environmental assessment of sp ...

Life Cycle Assessment of ICT : Carbon Footprint and Operational Electricity Use from the Operator, National, and Subscriber Perspective in Sweden

The IP (Internet Protocol) core network operated by TeliaSonera in Sweden has been studied according to a described definition (system boundary) and extrapolated to a national level for Sweden. A top-down and a bottom-up data collection approach have been used to quantify network equipment and energy consumption. The electricity consumption of the IP core network was about one fourth of the total energy consumption of the connected mobile and fixed access networks. The use stage results for the Swedish IP core network is about 0.08 kWh per GB (Gigabyte) of data traffic corresponding to about 19 g CO 2 e/GB when applying a Swedish electricity mix. If instead a global average electricity mix is used, the resulting green house gas emission would be about 64 g CO 2 e/GB. A method is also proposed where the amount of data traffic is used to allocate the IP core network on different usage. The method is exemplified by the 3G mobile broadband data traffic in Sweden.

LCA of data transmission and IP core networks

The invention relates to a device at a mobile communication system (10) to, at establishing of connection towards a public data communication network (12), identify mobile users (14). The mobile communication system (10) includes at least one first node (16) for handling of packet switching and charging data, at least one second node (18) for establishing of connection to public data communication networks (12) and transmission/mediation of addresses. The communication system (10) in addition includes a third node (22) connected to said first node/nodes (16) and to said second node/nodes (18) for filtering and duplication of modified call detail data records, at which each call detail data record includes a connection between an address and a subscriber. The third node (22) distributed the modified call detail data records to one to the third node (22) connected first memory device (24), at which a mobile user (14) is identified by means of the first memory device (24) and one to said first node/nodes (16) connected second memory device (26) which stores subscriber information.

A device and a procedure to identify mobile users

A system and a method to identify mobile users

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Life Cycle Assessment of ICT : Carbon Footprint and Operational Electricity Use from the Operator, National, and Subscriber Perspective in Sweden

LCA of data transmission and IP core networks

A device and a procedure to identify mobile users

A system and a method to identify mobile users