A new Broadband Forum project entitled “Energy Power Saving Requirements, Test Plan, and Data Model” aims to codify efficiency standards and specifications to reduce energy consumption by broadband access equipment.
The project initially was driven by the BT Group, Orange, Calix, Futurewei, Huawei, and Nokia, and is now being managed by the Broadband Forum’s Fiber Access Network (FAN) Work Area. The initiative builds on ITU-T Supplement 45 G series, which published recommendations and guidelines on PON equipment.
“Energy efficiency in fixed broadband equipment is essential for reducing power costs and CO2 emissions for operators and their customers. As the demand for high-speed connectivity continues to rise, it becomes crucial that FTTH networks operate sustainably, ensuring connectivity empowers the end user as well as nurturing the planet,” Hugues Le Bras, Network Engineer in Fixed Access Networks at Orange and Editor of the project, said in a press release.
“To achieve this, the new project outlines power saving requirements, power measurement monitoring and testing methods that are needed to unlock greater energy efficiency.”
The broadband energy efficiency specifications are expected next summer. The Broadband Forum says that it will address power saving requirements and the test plan and data model that it sets out.
One area of focus will be power saving of Optical Network Units (ONUs) and Optical Line Terminals (OLTs). Specifically, the working group will look at ONU power shredding, which is a reduction of power for non-essential functions and watchful sleep modes.
Broadband consumes a lot of energy, and the industry has paid considerable attention to new efficiency efforts. Those efforts have borne fruit. In August, D+R International reported that in the 12 years since two voluntary agreements were signed, there have been significant reductions in energy use by modems, routers, and set-top boxes.
The report said that the agreement focusing on modems, routers and other home internet access equipment has reduced energy consumption — in the form of weighted average power demand — 89% relative to broadband speeds since 2015.
