The implementation of 5G in the country could result in an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in particular due to the manufacture of a multitude of objects that will be connected and the energy consumption that will increase. will follow. But the industry believes, on the contrary, that the arrival of 5G will result in an improvement in the energy performance of mobile networks, which would help reduce GHG emissions. State of play.
Thanks to its ability to massively connect a large number of objects, 5G is about to revolutionize the mobile Internet. It will make it possible to connect, at high speed, a host of everyday objects. Telemedicine could be democratized thanks to this technology which will facilitate virtual reality. For example, ambulance attendants will eventually be able to transmit to doctors, in real time, the images and medical examinations of the patients they transport to the hospital. The ambulance could only drive on green lights towards the hospital center, as the traffic lights will be connected to emergency vehicles through 5G. Connecting things will increase automation and artificial intelligence, and transform mining, agriculture, transportation…
But this digital revolution could be accompanied by significant impacts on the environment.
“The deployment of this new communication technology is accompanied by the manufacture of a certain number of antennas, sensors in cities, with the manufacture of new telephones and new connected objects”, underlines Martin Deron, project manager for the digital challenge of Chemins de transition, a research project affiliated with the University of Montreal.
The manufacture of a multitude of new connected objects and new infrastructures will require the extraction of rare metals and non-renewable natural resources, and Martin Deron also expects an increase in energy consumption, linked to the new uses of these devices. .
His organization wonders if the large-scale deployment of 5G is compatible with the environmental ambitions of governments.
In France, a study by the Haut Conseil pour le Climat, an organization that advises the government, concluded that the deployment of 5G would lead to an 18 to 45% increase in the carbon footprint of the digital sector in France by 2030. .
In Canada, there does not appear to be a similar study, and Environment and Climate Change Canada told The Canadian Press that the department “has not undertaken research regarding the possible impacts of 5G technology on gas levels. greenhouse gases in Canada”.
Essential, according to the industry
While some are concerned about the effects of 5G on the environment, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), which represents companies involved in its deployment, believes on the contrary that the adoption of this technology “is essential to further reduce Canada’s carbon footprint.
CSTA points out that 5G contributes to “significantly increasing the energy efficiency of Canada’s wireless networks”.
A report commissioned by ACTS even concludes that “the rapid and effective deployment of 5G wireless networks will play a decisive role in achieving Canada’s commitments in the fight against climate change”.
ACTS claims that a 5G installation consumes between 8 and 15% less energy than a similar 4G installation.
Pierre-Jean Benghozi, research director at the National Center for Scientific Research in France and professor at the École polytechnique in Paris, argues that for equal traffic, 5G actually uses less energy than 4G. In an interview with The Canadian Press, Mr. Benghozi mentions that the energy saving of 5G is partly explained by the use of antennas which allow the radio signal to be directed directly towards users when they need it rather than emitting signals in all directions constantly.
To illustrate his point, he draws a parallel with “intelligent streetlights”. “When you walk down a street at night, you have streetlights lighting up the whole street; 3G or 4G antennas today, it’s a bit like that, that is to say, they light up the whole neighborhood. But if we want to be effective, we will avoid lighting places where there is no one, right? »
“So what would be interesting, to save energy, is for the lamp post to locate you and illuminate you by directing the light beam where you are. This is what the active antennas of 5G do, explains Pierre-Jean Benghozi.
The rebound effect
But researcher Martin Deron fears that these energy savings will be canceled out by the explosion in digital uses, what economists call the rebound effect.
The rebound effect represents an economic effect contrary to the intended result.
For example, when a smartphone manufacturer increases the battery efficiency of a device, users will not necessarily decrease the frequency of charging their phone. It is even often the opposite effect that occurs: the efficiency of the battery allows the development of new applications, therefore new uses which lead to an increase in the energy used. “This digital revolution will be accompanied by an increase in energy consumption, linked to the new uses of connected devices,” maintains Mr. Deron.
Beneficial for the environment?
It’s hard to imagine how 5G will change our daily lives in the next few years. We can easily predict that some “new needs” induced by 5G will require a lot of energy, but other uses could also be beneficial for the environment.
Currently, we are installing 5G because we are able to do so, not because the company asked for it.
For example, Telus, which is in the process of building its 5G network, explains on its website that projects are underway on a farm in Alberta, where sensors have been installed so that the farmer can consult in real time. soil moisture content and nutrient quantity. Robots are also seeding the field. According to Telus, these innovations, which could be popularized thanks to 5G, will allow farms to be more efficient and reduce agricultural losses, which would be positive for the environment.
Nevertheless, Martin Deron and the organization Chemins de transition believe that a public debate on the deployment of 5G is necessary.
“Currently, we are installing 5G because we are able to do so, not because the company asked for it. We have to ask ourselves questions about the environmental impact”, indicates Mr. Deron, who specifies that his organization is not at all “against progress or against digital technology”.
“We are wondering how to make the digital transition and the ecological transition converge in a horizon of about twenty years in Quebec. How can we do this in a more desirable way? »
The deployment of the 5G network in the country saw significant development last summer with the auction, by the federal government, of licenses to use the spectrum of the 3500 MHz band, which will be used by the various telecommunications companies. Rogers, Bell Telus, Videotron and Cogeco are among the main companies that have obtained licensing rights.