21581 - SCTE Broadband August2022 COMPLETE v1

54 Vol. 44 No. 3 - September 2022 Issue Telecoms industry must unite Slovenia covers 20,000 square kilometres and has two million inhabitants. A lesser known fact is that it is a paradise for the caving community with more than 16,000 registered caves. We all like to show the beautiful side of our countries and companies, but what is hidden below the surface? In 1991, once Slovenia secured its independence, only 20% of households had a municipal rubbish disposal system. This meant 80% of households would routinely drive to the nearest dump or simply throw their rubbish into the caves. The unfortunate result is that some caves are still full of rubbish, all these years later. This is not a widely recognised issue and will not solve itself if we ignore it. Why bring up caving? In my opinion, there are many parallels between this and global warming caused by the telecommunications sector. Neither are going to go away by themselves. In the case of telecommunications, who is the best placed to undertake steps to achieving greater sustainability? It is not something that can be achieved by just one individual or even one company. It is the responsibility of the entire industry. Explosion of data traffic Whether we are working, learning or communicating with friends and family, internet traffic has continued to climb exponentially, only compounded by the global pandemic and the transition to hybrid working. Day-to-day activities include downloading and streaming videos, accessing emails, or attending virtual meetings. Each of these tasks omit a small amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, required to process the data. This is not limited solely to the devices that end-users use, but the energy required to run our networks and the servers that support internet access. With the further explosion of data traffic expected thanks to next-generation technologies, operators must remain resolute in their resolve to reach net zero emission targets. With the energy consumption of data transmissions increasing, the telecoms industry’s carbon footprint is a cause for concern. The call for greener telecoms networks is nothing new. It has been called for by global organisations for a number of years, with the intention that the industry must become more aware of the adverse effect its energy consumption is having on the environment. Drastic action needs to be taken. And global leaders have already outlined their intentions at the G20 and COP26 conferences as they seek to work collaboratively with other countries to reduce the overall greenhouse gases omitted into the atmosphere. European Union Code of Conduct In 2021, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre published its ‘EU Code of Conduct on Energy Consumption of Broadband Equipment: Version 8.0’, which outlines the limits of power consumption of broadband equipment and specifies the test methodology. The Code of Conduct is the framework By Matjaž Pogačnik , Strategy Consultant, Iskratel with energy efficiency labelling to facilitate a greener future from the industry Sustainability I N F O C U S