TECHNICAL
to offer enterprises the highest quality connection for their mission-critical traffic, whilst saving costs on low-priority traffic. These new charging models are only possible due to the flexibility and efficiency of the BCE protocol, and thus the growing demand for 5G roaming services will drive operator adoption of BCE 2.0 in 2024. Sustainable Initiatives to Be Prioritised to Reduce the Impact of Telco Supply Chains Sustainability has become a key priority for network operators. Initiatives such as The European Green Deal, and the Circular Economy Action Plan from the EU, as well as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, are driving operators to place ESG (Environmental, Social and Governmental) initiatives at the forefront of planning. With the launch of 4G and 5G technologies, network virtualisation has played a key role in operators’ sustainability strategies. By reducing the reliance on hardware, operational costs can be reduced, as well as lowering transport costs. However, in 2024, Juniper Research expects operators to focus on new initiatives that look to reduce the impact of telecommunications on the environment as they seek diminished returns on implementing more virtualisation in networks that reduce carbon footprint. n AI & Machine Learning: These technologies will generate efficiency gains for operators by automating the network orchestration of operations and supply chains. n Sustainable Supply Chains: Another implication of 6G network launches is the need to deploy new network hardware. Given the need for more base stations and the wide geographical coverage needed, operators will invest in new sustainable supply chain practices such as the electrification of delivery vehicles and minimising the number of required base stations. n Energy-efficient Equipment and Batteries: There is a greater focus for base stations and other network equipment to use less energy for their operations. Notably, the introduction of higher frequency bands in spectrum auctions for 5G NSA (Non-standalone)
Figure 11: Driving Factors and Limitations of the GSMA’s BCE Protocol
Figure 12: Total Number of 5G Roaming Connections in 2023 & 2028 (m), Split by 8 Key Regions
Figure 13: Proposed Key Differences in Energy Efficiency of 4G, 5G, and 6G
MARCH 2024 Volume 46 No.1
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