Energy consumption of telecommunication access networks

The regional networks and the core network are needed for all the listed access technologies and can be considered as equal in terms of energy consumption. Nevertheless, every regional network connection is taken into account by fixed values and will not be examined in closer detail. The overall goal is to ensure comparable energy consumption figures for each access technology. To achieve this goal, the term “access network” has to be defined. The access network connects each subscriber to their immediate service provider. It includes the passive connection point on the subscriber’s premises, the active network termination including the connection (first hop) into the core network on the service provider’s side (see Figure 1) and all active compontents in between. The needed active customer premises equipment, like modems, routers or media converter, will be examined additionally. Figure 1: General definition of an access network with its components and the needed customer equipment. 5