• Through its telecom arm etisalat by e&, Ericsson will embark on a major network expansion in the United Arab Emirates.

• Collaboration to support e&’s long term ESG agenda and goals with sustainability remain at the core of all its operations 

• Initial deployment already resulted in up to 52 per cent energy consumption reduction at the pilot site without compromising the network quality and customer experience.

By ; amir Tahoe

e& (formerly known as Etisalat Group) partnered with Ericsson through its telecom arm etisalat by e&, the brand representing the United Arab Emirates telecom pillar of e&, on a major expansion project to improve network energy efficiency through the deployment of the latest Ericsson Radio System portfolio across the service provider’s network. The two-year project is in line with e&’s Sustainability Strategy, launched in July 2022. 

The initial deployment phase saw a substantial reduction in energy consumption of up to 52 per cent with Ericsson’s dual-band Radio 6626 compared to prior deployed radios. The reduction in energy consumption is equivalent to 7.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per site per year for the sites configured with four LTE carriers.

Moreover, the deployment of Ericsson’s state-of-the-art 5G mid-band radios for 5G network expansion has resulted in 20 per cent improved energy efficiency compared to the previous radio generation.

The expansion will help etisalat by e& evolve its radio access network (RAN) and support efforts to break the energy curve, which is key to reducing its carbon footprint across the region. 

Khalid Murshed, Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO), Etisalat UAE, says: “Building a brighter digital future for all begins with placing our people, customers, and the environment at the heart of our business. We have remained committed to our sustainability aspirations with resilience despite the changes witnessed on the ever-evolving business landscape over the last few years. We are focused on minimizing the environmental impact of our network by pursuing environmentally sustainable solutions that elevate performance quality. The energy consumption reduction witnessed by deploying the enhanced Ericsson Radio System is part of our strategy to build a more sustainable infrastructure across the country.”

Ekow Nelson, Vice President and Head of Global Customer Unit e& at Ericsson Middle East and Africa says: “Sustainability is central to our purpose, and being at the forefront of network innovations, we are actively supporting the broader telecom industry in reducing energy consumption and minimizing the carbon footprint. Our proven and tested innovative radios will enable etisalat by e& to offer optimal network performance to end users as they evolve their infrastructure to be more sustainable. Moreover, the energy reduction in our radios will aid etisalat by e& in significantly cutting down operational expenditure and make significant contributions to our net zero targets.”

Ericsson and etisalat by e& have been actively exploring sustainable network solutions and have also hosted a sustainability-themed event last year at the Swedish Pavilion at Expo 2020. This latest partnership is set to support etisalat by e& in sustainably transitioning from a traditional telecom operator into an integrated digital solutions provider, propelling the company's vision to digitally empower societies.