BT signs up to EC code aimed at cutting broadband power consumption

EC estimates broadband kit accounts for about 15 per cent of the ICT sector's overall energy consumption

BT signs up to reduce its broadband ICT electricity consumption

BT has signed up to an European Commission (EC) Joint Research Centre (JRC) code that commits it to reducing the power consumption of its broadband ICT infrastructure.

EC figures show that broadband equipment accounts for around 15 per cent of the ICT sector's overall energy consumption, about 47 terawatt hours (TWh) for the European Union (EU) in 2010.

Speaking at the ICT 2010 – Digitally Driven event this week, EU Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said: "The success of these codes of conduct [one covering broadband, another for datacentres] shows the industry's recognition that innovation to boost energy efficiency is a commercial, economic and environmental priority."

EC Digital Agenda VP Neelie Kroes agreed, saying: "implementing these two codes of conduct will significantly reduce the EU's electricity consumption and could save as much as €4.5bn per year."

There are currently 10 signatories for the JRC Institute of Energy broadband code of conduct, including vendors Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Huawei, Nokia Siemens Networks, and carriers Deutsche Telekom, Swisscom, and Telecom Italia.

These have now been joined by BT, as well as A1 Telekom Austria, Belgian carrier AG Belgacom, Dutch carrier KPN, France Telecom/Orange, Greek carrier OTE, Portugal Telecom, Spanish telco Telefonica, Norwegian carrier Telenor and Turk Telekom.

The JRC's Institute for Energy (IE) says its 29-page broadband voluntary code of conduct can help ICT companies to reduce their energy consumption by as much as 50 per cent.

The code could have a significant effect on BT's procurement activities re lated to its optical fibre rollout since it specifies that signatories need to ensure that procurement specifications for broadband equipment are compliant with the code.

The JRC is also responsible for a code of conduct related to datacentre power consumption, to which BT is already signed up.

EC figures for EU datacentres show that they account for about 18 per cent (56TWh) of ICT sector energy consumption, and are expected to grow faster than any other ICT technology