How The Shift towards 5G Consumer Devices Impacts the Environment

5G, being the next-generation technology that will be widely implemented around the world, has been thrust into the spotlight as questions about its sustainability and effects on climate change are being raised. Canadian researchers at McMaster University estimated that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) will account for about 3.5% of global carbon emissions and about 14% of total worldwide energy consumption in 2020. These numbers are expected to increase as both 5G technology adoption and mobile data usage increase. Several environmental issues associated with implementing the 5G network include the increase in manufacturing of component parts for 5G infrastructure and the propagation of new devices that will use the 5G network with increased consumer demand for 5G devices. This has put pressure on various stakeholders in striking a balance between 5G deployments and the related environmental impacts.

ABI Research’s 5G Mobile Devices, Features, and Technologies: Vendors, Trends, and Forecasts (MD-MDEV-111) market data forecasts that 5G handset shipments will increase from 155 million in 2020 to 1.15 billion in 2025, growing at a 5-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 49.3%. Such significant future growth provides some indication on the scale of manufacturing and maintenance of 5G devices and components required to match the demand. The high levels of production targeted at expanding the technology’s global reach and accessibility could potentially lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is key to point out that demand for 4G devices will see a decline and be replaced by demand for 5G devices. This transition, coupled with manufacturers reducing their carbon footprint in the process through recycling and environmental policies, could offer some consolation for those concerned about the environmental impacts.

The increase in production of new 5G smartphones to meet consumer demand could lead to greater energy consumption on the manufacturing front and in the raw consumption from the usage of the devices. Redmi General Manager Lu Weibing recently made claims that 5G phones consume about 20% more power compared to 4G phones. Given the much higher data speeds and ultra-low latency, it is expected that the network will provide enhanced efficiency for users. However, this enhanced efficiency will lead to users shifting toward more data-heavy activities, such as downloading or streaming 4K videos (1080p before) or devices with Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) features, which could potentially result in greater energy consumption. Despite advances in battery technology, 5G will inadvertently lead to greater battery drain and, as a result, higher power consumption as users will charge their devices more frequently.

Another aspect to consider is the amount of Electronic Waste (e-waste) being produced. As more consumers shift toward 5G for increased connection speeds and lower latency, they will need to replace their current 4G devices with 5G-compatible ones. Currently, mobile operators, such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and China Mobile, have device trade-in deals, while mobile device vendors like Apple and Samsung have buyback programs that enable users to gain some value from their old devices. However, these programs tend to be in the background, and not heavily marketed as a key focus of the company’s sustainability efforts. Also, the incentives provided to customers tend not to be attractive enough to participate in the programs. According to the Global E-Waste Monitor 2020 report, the e-waste generated globally in 2019 amounted to 53.6 million metric tons, with only 17.4% being collected and recycled. Such negative issues could possibly slow down the adoption of 5G among eco-conscious consumers¾a group that has been growing exponentially over the years.

According to ABI Research’s Network Technology and Market Tracker (MD-NWMT-104), global 5G subscriptions are forecast to reach 1.8 billion by 2025, growing at a 5-year CAGR of 127.5%. Keeping this in mind, along with the benefits that the 5G network will offer consumers, it is important for telecommunication and mobile companies to consider how 5G will impact the environment before driving wide technology implementations around the world.

A report by the GSMA mentions that upgrades to 5G could result in as many as 810 million used devices collected in 2020. In order to tackle the potential generation of more e-waste, mobile operators can put more focus and effort in marketing their buyback or trade-in programs as more consumers upgrade their devices to connect over 5G. Additionally, they could improve their programs to further incentivize customers to trade in their old devices. One example is AT&T offering its new and existing customers the opportunity to get the new iPhone 12 for US$0 with a trade-in. This would not only reduce the amount of e-waste generated, but also offer an additional revenue stream for mobile network operators and manufacturers as they unlock the value in used smartphones. Going one step further, for phones that are beyond economical repair, breaking down the phones can allow manufacturers to recover spare parts for repairs or reclaim precious materials used in their manufacturing process.

Increased energy efficiency in 5G devices will be another step in the right direction. There has been a massive move to smartphones with batteries with increasingly larger capacities over the past few years, but this is mostly in the high-end segment. Therefore, device manufacturers can further improve battery technology, while driving the cost down to cater to the wider market of smartphones. Furthermore, developing low-energy loss components, coupled with greater packaging and miniaturization of components, enables increased performance with enhanced efficiencies. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Lille, France have built a new switch component that they claim to be 50X more energy efficient compared to what is being used today. Earlier in the year, Samsung unveiled an optimized Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display for its 5G smartphones that features a 15% reduction in power consumption compared to its previous display.

While companies continue their push to implement 5G technology, it is vital that they continue to consider the environmental impacts, as this would bring about cost-savings in the future and benefit society at large. This is especially important as 5G is set to change how the world interacts and operates with greater connectivity between devices, infrastructure, and machines. As climate change is an ever-growing concern, each step toward the global development of current and next-generation networks will require a more environmentally-friendly approach.

(Note: ABI Research’s Network Technology and Market Tracker (MD-NWMT-104) uses data from the top 30 countries for global forecasts of the number of 5G subscriptions.)