POWERING A GREENER FUTURE WITH SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

India's telecom sector is aligning 5G expansion with sustainability, adopting green energy, Al, and e-waste solutions for a cleaner digital future.

- LT GEN DR SP KOCHHAR

Over the last couple of years, the world has undergone a massive digital transformation. This change not only marks a shift towards a more digitally connected society but also a more sustainable one. Across industries, there has been a growing awareness of the adverse environmental impact that rapid technological transformation has had and the need for urgent action.

As a crucial and ever-evolving sector, the global telecom industry is shifting towards sustainable practices to develop more sustainable and environmentally friendly telecom networks.

The industry's emissions are primarily due to energy consumption from network equipment, such as base stations and data centres, the use of diesel generators for backup power, and the increasing energy demands of newer technologies like 5G. According to Nokia's MBIT Report 2025, pan-India monthly 5G traffic surged threefold (year-over-year) to reach 7.6 EB in 2024.

This surge in data traffic has led to major investments in telecom, resulting in widespread infrastructure upgrades across the country and catapulting India to the forefront of global telecom infrastructure innovations.

Since its launch, 5G has pushed the country's telecom infrastructure to an unprecedented scale, with over 4.69 lakh 5G base stations installed in record time, powering over 25 crore 5G users in the country. As the infrastructure scales, it poses a challenge for the industry's sustainability goals. In these times of enhancing connectivity and environmental goals, the Indian telecom industry has intensified its focus on sustainable innovation.

TELCOS' EFFORTS FOR GREENER NETWORKS