How close is telecoms to sustainable decommissioning?

Maintaining any IT system means regularly bringing in new technology and retiring older equipment. This is particularly true with telecoms networks. It’s a hardware-driven industry and retiring and decommissioning hardware is a necessary part of network maintenance.

There’s a wide range of drivers to this: improving the power or cost-efficiency of networks, legislative demands like the Telco Security Act which requires change and migration as well as the physical removal of equipment considered a security threat, or the need to replace hardware in redundant networks such as 3G mobile networks or 20+-year-old copper.

Even ignoring the price of brand-new hardware, the decommissioning cycle comes at great financial and environmental cost. As telecoms pursue more sustainable practices, some things need to change. 

Extending the lifecycle of equipment

The most logical step would be to reduce the amount of equipment being removed from the network and operators continuing to maintain a legacy network as they phase to newer technology, however power consumption, vendor support, skills requirements and customer demand for network coverage means this is not a sustainable or financially viable solution for many operators.

According to a recent study, nearly one-third (29%) of decommissioning initiatives stem from the need to replace hardware that has reached the end of support from OEMs. This equipment isn’t faulty or ineffective, it is just no longer supported by the manufacturer.

A lack of industry legacy support for equipment from OEMs is understandable. They are looking to provide cutting edge technology that will future proof their standing within the operator space for RAN / IOT and 5G, ensure telecoms security compliance and support the move to hybrid and cloud-based solutions. The problem the operators then face is “how can I enable operations to manage specialist legacy end of service/life (EOSL) equipment, maintain efficiency and support ESG objectives”.

This is where alternative support and procurement functions such as re-purposed infrastructure equipment and specialist hardware support outside of the OEMs are often the smarter choice.

Removing power-hungry technology is an important part of this process. Every kilowatt of power saved on equipment translates into an additional kilowatt saved in cooling, and therefore a 50% reduction in power consumption across retained sites is achievable.

Across the industry, we are witnessing a substantial shift towards network rationalisation, as operators restructure and consolidate their footprint to improve efficiency and operating costs. One example is the switch from copper to fibre networks, allowing operators to reduce the number of local telephone exchanges. A real-life example of this is that huge programme embarked upon by BT Group to reduce the number of their exchanges from approximately 5,600 to 1,000 over the course of the next 10-15 years.

This type of equipment decommissioning is a necessity, but you can’t just ‘lift and shift’. Operators must pursue sustainable, regulatory practices and mitigate the environmental impact of this process. 

Going circular  

The industry needs to embrace the technology circular economy. We see this happening gradually, but, during this transformation where huge volumes of hardware will be removed and/or replaced, circular principles should be adopted now. This will ease the financial and environmental impact of decommissioning programmes.

Service providers have three main tools at their disposal: 

Reuse 

Even though outdated or inefficient hardware must be removed from one part of a network, there's still potential to repair & refurbish these items so they can be reused elsewhere as redundant pairs, cold spares or even fully functioning replacements. Increasing the lifespan of equipment in this way has natural economic and environmental benefits, but requires expertise to refit, test, and reliably redeploy recovered assets.

Resale 

As telecom networks evolve at different rates around the world, there is often a market to buy and sell legacy & second-hand equipment. Even more modern technology, such as Huawei and ZTE that need to be removed from certain networks, hold a residual value for operators and by engaging a capable specialist this value can be realised through the sale to alternative markets. As an example, we’ve supported a UK MNO in claiming over £4m yield from this very activity.

Recycle 

A typical decommissioning process will often look to resell hardware first, however when there is no market requirement for said equipment, then recycling hardware components is a viable commercial option which also supports the circular economy. 

This is particularly true with legacy hardware that contains precious metals (gold and copper) which hold significant value. Older networking equipment is harder to resell and has proven to be more valuable when recycled than its modern counterparts. Operators could recover as much as 800,000 metric tons of copper over the next decade, worth more than $7 billion at today’s prices. 

Maintain

Maintaining equipment for as long as possible should always be the number one goal, if network transformation is to be a truly sustainable practice. Operators need to look outside of their traditional support partners and seek out to those who are able to provide the necessary break/fix service agreements and global support required to successfully maintain legacy networks.  

Equipment decommissioning is a natural part of the network lifecycle and as with all lifecycles it will never truly be “finished”. While limiting decommissioning until absolutely necessary should be the industry’s goal, that is not always a realistic option with the demands it faces. It is therefore crucial that service providers embrace circular economy principles across their technology estate – the approach will limit the financial and environmental costs they face as they build more powerful and more efficient networks.  

John is TXO’s Group Chief Network Officer and is distinguished by his expertise in telecom network infrastructure and operations. His previous leadership as Head of Networks & Engineering at KCOM and COO at Sterlite Technologies reflects a career dedicated to technological excellence. At Vodafone, he led fibre services and network planning, leaving a legacy of innovative solutions and improved network efficiencies. At TXO, John is focused on enhancing network capabilities and driving sustainable growth within the telecom industry