A group of 15 telecommunications service providers, component and infrastructure vendors and academic institutions have launched ‘EARTH’ (Energy Aware Radio and neTwork tecHnologies), a consortium whose goal is to achieve a 50% reduction in the energy consumption of advanced 4G mobile networks within two-and-a-half years. Other members include Ericsson, DoCoMo, and Telecom Italia, as well as a number of universities.
EARTH’s approach will be to consider the energy efficiency of mobile networks at a comprehensive system level rather than focusing on discrete network elements. The consortium members say they will research approaches to allow for unprecedented energy savings in the area of wireless networks, their components, and radio interfaces. Based on this, EARTH will develop a new generation of energy-efficient network equipment and components, craft energy-oriented deployment strategies, and conceive energy-aware network management solutions.
The EARTH initiative supports the European Union’s Work Programme for Information and Communication Technologies under the objective “Network of the Future”, which has the goal to realize the new generation of telecom infrastructure, network and Internet technologies. The project is funded within the EUs Seventh Framework Program (FP7) that seeks to play a crucial role in achieving goals of growth, competitiveness and employment by bundling all research-related EU initiatives together under a common roof. 
Dr. Rainer Fechner, Head of Bell Labs in Germany and member of the management board, Alcatel-Lucent in Germany, says: “What makes EARTH so compelling is that it has the potential to deliver tangible benefits to society on a number of levels: reducing energy consumption of networks and their impact on the environment, while making broadband wireless service available to a greater number of people in Europe. The value of our contribution derives from deep experience and innovations in both green technology and advanced wireless systems.”
The EARTH research project was launched in January 2010 and will run until June 2012. There’s more information here.
