Towards Sustainability in 6G and beyond: Challenges and Opportunities of Open RAN

Bibliographic Details
Title: Towards Sustainability in 6G and beyond: Challenges and Opportunities of Open RAN
Authors: Ahmadi, Hamed, Rahmani, Mostafa, Chetty, Swarna Bindu, Tsiropoulou, Eirini Eleni, Arslan, Huseyin, Debbah, Merouane, Quek, Tony
Publication Year: 2025
Collection: Computer Science
Subject Terms: Computer Science - Networking and Internet Architecture
More Details: The transition to 6G is expected to bring significant advancements, including much higher data rates, enhanced reliability and ultra-low latency compared to previous generations. Although 6G is anticipated to be 100 times more energy efficient, this increased efficiency does not necessarily mean reduced energy consumption or enhanced sustainability. Network sustainability encompasses a broader scope, integrating business viability, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility. This paper explores the sustainability requirements for 6G and proposes Open RAN as a key architectural solution. By enabling network diversification, fostering open and continuous innovation, and integrating AI/ML, Open RAN can promote sustainability in 6G. The paper identifies high energy consumption and e-waste generation as critical sustainability challenges and discusses how Open RAN can address these issues through softwarisation, edge computing, and AI integration.
Comment: This paper has been accepted for publication at IEEE Communications Standards Magazine on 11 March 2025
Document Type: Working Paper
Access URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2503.08353
Accession Number: edsarx.2503.08353
Database: arXiv
More Details
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