A Modern Network Edge Strategy to Reach Telco Sustainability Goals

Edge computing is an increasingly attractive strategy. Its easy scalability and security benefits make it a necessary component for telcos to meet the growing demand of faster, more reliable connectivity. But, there’s another reason to invest in edge computing: sustainability. 

Last month, TechTarget named sustainability one of the major upcoming trends to look for in edge computing. This blog post explores why sustainability is a crucial driver for modern edge strategies in the telco sector, and how SUSE is empowering telecommunications companies to achieve their sustainability goals.

Optimizing energy consumption

For telcos with vast, distributed networks, energy consumption is a significant operational cost. Edge computing optimizes energy usage across networks, creating a win-win for both the bottom line and the environment.

By processing data closer to the source, edge computing reduces the need to transmit massive amounts of data to centralized data centers. This translates directly into lower data transfer costs and reduced energy consumption. Edge deployments also often utilize smaller, more energy-efficient devices compared to traditional data centers. This strategic use of electricity, precisely where and when it’s needed, significantly contributes to energy savings.

Beyond the cost savings, smarter energy usage also supports corporate environmental sustainability initiatives and goals. Edge computing consumes less energy than cloud computing to achieve the same results — or even faster. Lower energy consumption translates to a smaller carbon footprint and fewer emissions, both important factors for meeting ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) targets.

Making the most of your hardware

In addition to conserving energy, optimized edge computing helps telcos utilize hardware more efficiently. Edge computing allows businesses to process data on smaller, more efficient devices, reducing the need to upgrade hardware constantly to handle massive data traffic. 

Investing in purpose-built hardware designed for the rigors of the telecom edge, capable of handling massive real-time data transfer with ultra-low latency, is a smart long-term strategy.  Efficiently utilized hardware experiences less wear and tear, extending its lifespan and minimizing the need for frequent replacements. 

Electronic waste, or e-waste, is often difficult and expensive to recycle, so using hardware more efficiently helps prevent the creation of unnecessary e-waste.

Cutting expenses and pollution with zero-touch management

Zero-touch management is another advantage of a modern edge strategy that offers both environmental and business sustainability benefits. Zero-touch management in edge computing refers to the ability to remotely configure, monitor and manage edge devices without the need for on-site personnel visits. 

For telcos with geographically-dispersed infrastructure, zero-touch management significantly reduces the need for employees to travel to each edge device for management. This translates to lower fuel consumption, reduced vehicle emissions, and cost savings.

Zero-touch management at scale and built-in automation mean your team can focus on innovations that contribute directly to your bottom line with lower impact on the environment. The flexible automatic scaling of loads also saves electricity and prevents wasted power.

Achieving your edge sustainability goals with SUSE

SUSE is committed to supporting telcos in their pursuit of sustainable edge deployments. Our belief in open source values drives us to manage risk, create value and deliver measurable impact around Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues that matter to SUSE and our stakeholders.

SUSE is a proud member of the Linux Foundation Europe Project Sylva and contributes significantly to the open source community, creating an open framework for net-zero networks through holistic carbon emissions monitoring and optimization.

Additionally, SUSE Edge for Telco empowers telcos to modernize edge strategies with sustainability at the core.

Simplified operations at scale 

SUSE Edge for Telco utilizes SUSE Rancher Prime, a market-leading Kubernetes management solution known for its simplicity, robustness and outstanding user experience. SUSE has made key enhancements to Rancher Prime to support telecom use cases more efficiently. 

Faster rollouts

SUSE Edge for Telco utilizes GitOps to help users consistently deploy and manage thousands of Kubernetes clusters easily. With integration of CNCF’s Cluster API, operators can further speed the process with programmatic APIs that also offer a vendor-neutral integration point — all done with less energy consumption. 

Unified management

Manage Linux and Kubernetes from a single pane of glass with SUSE Edge for Telco. Save operating costs and administration overhead while increasing the efficiency of lifecycle operations at scale. Not only will you save on energy costs, but your hardware will experience less wear and tear and you won’t need to replace your existing hardware infrastructure.  

Zero-touch provisioning

Save time and money, and the environment, with simple zero-touch onboarding of enterprise-grade edge hardware, eliminating the need for skilled technical staff to travel. Automation carefully conserves energy, too. All you need to do is connect power, add to your network and switch on the device — and the software does the rest.

SUSE is dedicated to helping telcos build a sustainable future. Learn more about our edge solutions and how we can empower your telecommunications enterprise to achieve its sustainability goals.