The evolution from 5G to 6G is reshaping telecom networks with a sharper focus on energy efficiency and cost control. While site rentals and labor expenses are trending down thanks to virtualization, AI, and network sharing, energy remains a stubborn and growing cost driver. Rising data traffic, dense coverage requirements, and multiple network layers all add to power consumption, making energy management a top priority for operators.
Labor expenses remain one of the largest operating costs for major telecom operators, typically accounting for 20–30 percent of total operating expenditures. Companies such as AT&T, Verizon, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, and China Mobile report billions in annual personnel costs covering network engineers, customer service, retail staff, and corporate functions.
Recent trends show gradual declines in labor costs as a share of revenue due to network virtualization, automation, and the adoption of AI-driven customer support, which reduce the need for manual operations and large field teams. Many operators are also restructuring through workforce optimization, outsourcing, and shared-service models to control expenses while investing in 5G and fiber deployment.
Data traffic at leading telecom operators continues to grow at double-digit rates each year, driven by 5G adoption, video streaming, cloud gaming, and enterprise digitalization. Carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, and Reliance Jio report record mobile and fixed-network usage, with many seeing total data volumes double roughly every two to three years.
Peak-hour consumption is increasingly dominated by high-definition and 4K video, along with rapid growth in IoT and enterprise applications. While operators are investing heavily in 5G spectrum, fiber backhaul, and edge infrastructure to handle the surge, they face pressure to maintain network performance and manage energy costs. Advanced traffic management, network slicing, and AI-based optimization are key strategies to sustain quality of service and monetize the rising data demand without eroding profitability.
Bridging Data Silos for Smarter Energy Use
Telecom sites now run a mix of DC power plants, batteries, generators, and power distribution units from different vendors and generations. This creates fragmented data streams that are hard to unify. All-in-one, vendor-agnostic data platforms — like those offered by ClaritechIO — aggregate power data from diverse equipment and element managers, delivering a single, scalable dashboard for real-time decision-making.
Key Benefits for Network Operators
Energy-Efficiency Gains:
Centralized dashboards help operators identify inefficiencies and optimize HVAC settings, peak shaving, and radio power use. ClaritechIO estimates that refining cooling setpoints can cut RAN energy consumption by 2–5 percent (roughly €90–225 per site each year), while dynamic setpoints can drive reductions of up to 15 percent (about €675 per site annually).
Reduced Complexity & Better Visibility:
Standardized telemetry provides instant insight into the best- and worst-performing sites, technologies, and vendors. These insights guide future network design and improve operational resilience.
Improved Billing and Auditing:
Cloud-native, standardized energy data streamlines billing, reduces disputes, and accelerates payment cycles, turning billing from a cost center into a strategic advantage.
Preparing for the 6G Era
As 6G development accelerates, energy efficiency will be a core design principle, making scalable, vendor-agnostic energy management platforms a competitive necessity. Operators adopting these solutions can reduce energy costs, simplify operations, and position themselves for a sustainable 6G future.
By integrating all-in-one energy dashboards, telecom providers can unlock significant savings, improve network performance, and achieve sustainability goals — critical steps toward next-generation network efficiency.
GSMA Intelligence’s latest analysis, 5G Next: Optimising Energy in the Age of Network Complexity, highlights how integrated data dashboards can transform energy management for mobile operators. As 5G networks expand and energy costs climb, operators face mounting pressure to collect, manage, and use data more intelligently to reduce power consumption and boost operational efficiency.
Smarter Energy Decisions Through Unified Data
Effective energy management starts with effective data management. Operators must analyze usage patterns, network demands, weather changes, and shifting topologies to make real-time, site-level adjustments such as:
Activating sleep modes during low traffic periods
Selecting spectrum bands dynamically
Migrating user equipment efficiently
Remotely adjusting antenna orientation
These complex optimizations are only achievable with a single, unified data platform, not fragmented silos.
Avoiding Costly Hardware Additions
Adding new meters or devices might seem like a quick fix for tracking energy use, but extra hardware increases cost and complexity. Site visits for installations or upgrades are expensive and prolong hardware cycles.
Instead, all-in-one dashboards can aggregate data from multiple sources — without new hardware —feeding it into existing tools for peak shaving, HVAC control, and uptime monitoring.
Three Paths to Data Integration
GSMA Intelligence outlines three strategic options for building an integrated energy dashboard:
In-House Development
Large operators can create their own platform, maintaining full control of their data. However, sourcing expertise and building robust tools remains challenging for mid-sized operators.
Partnerships with Existing Vendors
Working with major network vendors can leverage existing relationships, but these solutions may have limited multi-vendor support, posing risks for operators pursuing vendor diversification.
Third-Party, Vendor-Agnostic Solutions
Independent providers offer flexible platforms that integrate all data inputs, helping operators avoid vendor lock-in. Although fewer companies offer these tools, thorough evaluation can ensure the best fit.
Why It Matters for 5G and Beyond
With energy efficiency emerging as a critical cost factor for mobile networks, integrated dashboards allow operators to reduce power consumption, improve network resilience, and cut operational costs — without adding hardware or sacrificing flexibility.
As 5G scales and 6G development begins, data-driven energy management will be central to reducing expenses and achieving sustainability goals. Mobile operators adopting integrated, vendor-agnostic dashboards today will be better positioned for the next era of network growth.
Baburajan Kizhakedath