Why are 5G base stations being powered off every day?

Selected 5G base stations in China are being powered off every day from 21:00 to next day 9:00 to reduce energy consumption and lower electricity bills. 5G base stations are truly large consumers of energy such that electricity bills have become one of the biggest costs for 5G network operators.

Why do we need a 5G base station?

TrendForce research vice president Kelly Hsieh indicates that, from a technical perspective, the growth in mobile data consumption, low-latency applications (such as self-driving cars, remote surgeries, and smart manufacturing), and large-scale M2M (smart cities) requires an increase in 5G base stations for support.

Why do we need a 5G network?

To meet 5G high data requirements, we will need more infrastructure (i.e., macro and micro base stations, data centers, servers, and small cells). This means an increase in network power consumption and is driving a need for system efficiency and overall power savings. Ultimately, the carriers need more for less.

What are the challenges posed by 5G New Radio Massive MIMO?

Challenges Raised by 5G New Radio Massive MIMO (i.e., multiple-input and multiple-output) will be one of the key enabling technologies for the 5G networks to increase the network capacity, increase the data rates, enhance the network reliability, improve the energy efficiency, and reduce the interferences [36, 45, 46].

What are the challenges for 5G network coverage planning?

The 5G network coverage planning will heavily depend on the individual cell site location (e.g., urban, suburban, and rural). This section describes potential challenges for 5G network coverage planning and deployments. 5.1. Accurate Site Planning The 5G network will not be a standalone deployment at the initial stages of the network development.

How to increase 5G signal strength?

In order to ensure the signal strength, the power must be increased. In order not to be blocked by walls, many base stations must be densely placed in the cell to avoid being blocked by too many walls. If you want to enjoy the high speed of the 5G era, you have to increase the number of base stations more than ten times or even hundreds of times.