India’s telecom industry is entering a phase where energy efficiency is not just a cost metric but a regulatory and strategic imperative. The draft National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2025 puts hard numbers on that shift: a 30% cut in sectoral carbon emissions and 30% renewable power for telecom towers by 2030.
These goals formalize what operators are already realizing in practice—energy is the largest controllable expense in mobile networks, accounting for 15–40% of operational costs, and it is increasingly central to competitiveness.
The challenge is structural. The radio access network (RAN), which powers mobile connectivity, consumes the bulk of network electricity. A typical 5G site, driven by massive MIMO antennas and densified cell layers, can draw up to three times more power than a 4G site before optimization. Rather than simply multiplying sites, operators are now focused on “smarter sites”—optimizing power use through software, AI-based traffic management, and site design.
Once operational efficiency is maximized, the emissions problem shifts to the power source itself. With diesel generation (DG) still used for backup at some rural or unreliable grid sites, operators are increasingly turning to renewable open access (OA) power purchase agreements (PPAs). OA procurement makes economic as well as environmental sense: industrial solar tariffs average around ₹3.50 per unit before state charges, still below high-tension grid rates in many states, while diesel power costs roughly ₹21 per kWh. The result is a growing shift toward OA renewables and hybrid systems that pair solar, wind, and storage to displace diesel runtime.
The trend is visible on the ground. Vodafone Idea (Vi) has eliminated diesel use at over 11,700 sites, converted 75% of its base transceiver stations to outdoor designs—cutting site power by nearly 20%—and deployed more than 400 solar-equipped tower sites. Its June 2025 collaboration with the Digital Infrastructure Providers Association aims to scale standardized GEOA (green energy open access) procurement, streamlining PPAs across the industry. Airtel is following a similar trajectory, reporting 65% “green sites” alongside hybrid battery rollouts and rooftop solar, while Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has issued GEOA tenders for exchanges and offices.
This operational decarbonization is complemented by smarter measurement. Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) metering—favored for its deep coverage and low power use—is expanding across telecom and utility estates. More accurate energy metering underpins OA settlements, service-level accountability, and ESG reporting, enabling operators to quantify and verify renewable performance rather than rely on modeled estimates.
The efficiency narrative, however, is complicated by rising traffic volumes and AI adoption. While automation helps optimize energy use in real time, AI workloads themselves draw power, meaning governance around when and where models run is now a material operational issue. Similarly, intermittent renewable supply and curtailment risks—particularly during monsoon periods—require careful hedging through hybrid PPAs or onsite rooftop generation.
As India transitions from pilot projects to scaled execution, industry frameworks already point to the next steps. RAN energy-saving features introduced in 5G-Advanced (Release 18), coupled with Open RAN deep-sleep functions, can further lower energy intensity without degrading service quality. On the power side, multi-year OA contracts with capped escalators and hybrid solar-wind-storage portfolios offer cost predictability while strengthening green credentials.
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