Technology giant Ericsson and Bahrain-headquartered technology group Beyon have renewed their collaboration to expand their joint sustainability initiatives and circular economy practices for building energy-efficient networks in Bahrain.
The two companies have also announced the successful outcomes of their initial sustainability collaboration, signed in early 2024, for accelerating the journey to a net zero future for both companies and managing waste from electronic and electrical equipment (aka WEEE or e-waste).
The memorandum of understanding (MoU), which we reported at the time, and which was signed by Bahrain operator Batelco, part of the Beyon Group, aimed to reduce Beyon’s environmental footprint by addressing energy consumption and carbon emissions on live networks operated by Batelco, using Ericsson’s sustainable solutions.
Implementation of this MoU, say the partner companies, has so far resulted in a 30% energy reduction on Batelco’s network by the deployment of the Ericsson 5G radio access network product, Radio 6646, a triple-band, tri-sector radio that, Ericsson says, can do the job of nine radios.
Additionally, energy-saving software features such as cell sleep mode and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered MIMO sleep mode, were implemented on pilot sites, leading to a 22% average reduction in energy consumption where the features were activated.
A further 18% energy reduction was realised through the deployment of the single-antenna footprint interleaved antenna integrated radio (AIR) 3218 compared to AIR 3227 to provide 5G massive MIMO while addressing space constraints on rooftops and towers.
Circular economy practices have also been addressed; in particular an e-waste recycling initiative has been launched under the Ericsson Product Take-Back Programme. These efforts enable Beyon to recycle end-of-life electronic and electrical equipment in a responsible and sustainable way, supporting the group’s e-waste management efforts.
Furthermore, the collaboration also focused on knowledge sharing, with monthly sessions involving global experts discussing climate action, circularity, and the collective efforts required to achieve net zero goals.