Three UK has made its mobile network significantly more sustainable by rolling out next-generation, AI-driven hardware and software from Ericsson.
Over the past 18 months, Three and Ericsson have carried out a network modernisation programme focused on improving energy performance. The project pairs Ericsson’s energy-efficient radio hardware with advanced AI and data analytics to reduce power consumption while maintaining and enhancing service quality.
“Our collaboration with Ericsson represents an important step in Three UK’s sustainability journey. We’ve achieved substantial energy-efficiency gains while expanding the network’s capabilities for customers,” said Iain Milligan, Chief Network Officer at Three UK. “We will apply the lessons learned from this work to future projects to keep reducing our environmental footprint.”
Late last year, Three became one of the first major UK operators to deploy Ericsson’s dual-band Radio 4490. This next-generation radio consumes less power and is approximately 25% lighter than earlier models, simplifying site access and accelerating upgrade cycles.
“Together with Three UK, we are redefining the network of the future by making it smarter and more energy efficient,” said Evangelia Tzifa, CTO of Networks & Managed Services at Ericsson UK and Ireland. “Improving network availability and performance while cutting energy use demonstrates the value of our combined technology and expertise. I’m proud that we’re building a modern digital infrastructure that delivers better service to customers and a more sustainable future.”
Beyond hardware changes, the partnership has deployed a suite of Ericsson software features designed to lower energy use per radio unit during periods of low traffic. These capabilities rely on machine learning, passive cooling techniques, and intelligent power-saving modes.
The new radio generation operates autonomously across 4G and 5G, powering down components when they are idle and reactivating them in microseconds when demand returns. This balance preserves user experience while cutting unnecessary energy expenditure.
So far, the Three–Ericsson collaboration has delivered energy-efficiency improvements of up to 70% at selected sites. Those savings have been achieved alongside better overall network performance, smaller site footprints, and reduced CO2 emissions.
These results establish a practical benchmark for future deployments and underline the potential for telecom operators to lower environmental impact through combined hardware and software innovation.
(Photo by Casey Horner)
See also: NEC develops compact antenna for ‘Beyond 5G’
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