Building a Green and Low-Carbon Optical Network

Recently, IDATE, a well-known French analysis and research institute, jointly held the Green Optical Network Summit with carriers and equipment vendors in Barcelona. Maria Yolanda Crisanto, Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) of Globe Telecom, a leading digital solution group, described Globe’s Net Zero strategy and a pathway to low-carbon networks by emerging green technologies.

As a purpose-driven organization, sustainability at Globe is anchored on The Globe Purpose and aims to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) to create a Globe of Good. Globe seeks to create a wonderful world by combining innovation with the power of collaboration, to achieve inclusive and sustainable development for all. As the business continues to grow, the company strengthens its contribution to nation-building with an engaged and empowered workforce. Hinged on four (4) sustainability strategy pillars: Digital Nation, Care for the Environment, Care for People, and Positive Societal Impact, the company commits to contribute to ten (10) UN SDGs.

Globe continuously pursues partnerships and innovation to reduce carbon emissions in its network and to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, an effort aligned with the historic Paris climate agreement. Globe puts into action its commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by actively supporting the Race To Zero global campaign spearheaded by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and COP26 Presidency and backed by the GSMA, the global mobile industry body.

Globe has committed to build low-carbon optical networks by emerging green technologies. In optical transmission networks, the highly-integrated edge optical transmission network (OTN) simplifies central office (CO) deployment from traditional equipment rooms to outdoor cabinets or pole sites, implementing one device at one site and reducing network power consumption by more than 40%. What is more, optical cross-connect (OXC) simplifies six cabinets and more than 700 fiber connections into one OXC device and no fiber connection, achieving a 70% reduction in power consumption and an 80% reduction in space requirement. In optical access networks, intelligent software is added to adjust the output power of devices based on the service status, and intelligent ONTs can automatically detect the Wi-Fi usage status to adjust the power during off-peak hours to save 30% energy for home users.

Finally, Miss. Maria Yolanda Crisanto said, “we have set up a pathway to a Net Zero emission network and launched emission reduction projects by green technologies, including site simplification, room simplification, solar utilization, diesel generator removal, etc. For Globe business as usual by 2030, it is estimated that GHG emissions by the green technologies integrated can be reduced by 60%, that is equivalent to 1.43 million tons of carbon emissions. So, we collectively engage our stakeholders to contribute to environmental sustainability with the use of technology to build a greener world.”