Environment: Telecoms firms are reducing the power consumption of their networks, for economic and environmental reasonsrnLike many other industries, the telecoms lindustry is increasingly worried about its energy consumption and the associated carbon footprint. This is not just because rising energy prices have made it more expensive to run telecoms networks; it is also because telecoms networks and devices account for nearly 1% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, and the industry wants to avoid criticism from green campaigners. Unlike many other firms, however, telecoms operators find their carbon footprints quite easy to work out. That is because their footprints are dominated by one thing: running their networks.rnFor example, Vodafone, a giant European mobile operator, estimates that its network accounts for 80% of its carbon footprint (the remainder is attributed to its offices, shops and vehicles). And three-quarters of the network's contribution is, in turn, associated with powering the base-stations that allow mobile phones to connect to the network.
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