The energy consumption of the fifth generation (5G) of mobile networks is one of the major concerns of the telecom industry. However, there is not currently an accurate and tractable approach to evaluate 5G base stations' (BSs') power consumption.
The power consumption of a single 5G station is 2.5 to 3.5 times higher than that of a single 4G station. The main factor behind this increase in 5G power consumption is the high power usage of the active antenna unit (AAU). Under a full workload, a single station uses nearly 3700W.
Although the absolute value of the power consumption of 5G base stations is increasing, their energy efficiency ratio is much lower than that of 4G stations. In other words, with the same power consumption, the network capacity of 5G will be as dozens of times larger than 4G, so the power consumption per bit is sharply reduced.
The main factor behind this increase in 5G power consumption is the high power usage of the active antenna unit (AAU). Under a full workload, a single station uses nearly 3700W. This necessitates a number of updates to existing networks, such as more powerful supplies and increased performance output from supporting facilities.
The 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) is the interface between user devices and the 5G core network. It comprises base stations and small cells that manage radio communications, enabling ultra-fast data transfer and low-latency connections.
5G networks divide coverage areas into smaller zones called cells, enabling devices to connect to local base stations via radio. Each station connects to the broader telephone network and the Internet through high-speed optical fiber or wireless backhaul.
It consists of antennas, transceivers, and digital processing units that transmit and receive radio signals between user devices and the network. 5G base stations operate on various frequency bands, including sub-6 GHz and mmWave, to deliver ultra-low latency, high data throughput, and enhanced capacity.
Advanced 5G modems also support standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) network architectures, enabling a smooth transition and backward compatibility with 4G LTE networks. A 5G base station is the critical infrastructure that provides wireless connectivity in 5G networks.
Therefore, in 5G networks, high-frequency resources will no longer use macro base stations, micro-cells become the mainstream, and the small base stations will be used as the basic unit for ultra-intensive networking, that is, small base stations dense deployment.
Every 5G NR base station or UE manufacturer must pass all the necessary tests before releasing the products to market. Otherwise, the products do not have 3GPP-compliant recognition and are not usable for network deployment. We start with a quick overview of 3GPP base station conformance testing requirements.
According to the principle of mobile communication, the transmission distance and frequency of the signal are inversely proportional when the power ratio of receiving and transmitting is constant. The frequencies of 4G base stations are generally from 2.3GHz to 2.6GHz, and the frequencies of 5G high-frequency base stations are above 28GHz.
The radius of coverage area of 5G high-frequency base stations will be less than one-tenth of that of 4G base stations, and the coverage area of 5G high-frequency base stations will be less than one percent of that of 4G base stations. The deployment of macro base stations is difficult and the site resources are not easy to obtain.
The mobile 5G base station, developed jointly by China Mobile Communications Group and the People's Liberation Army (PLA), can offer high-speed, secure and reliable data exchange services to at least 10,000 users within a 3km radius, according to a South China Morning Post report.
2027 master plan – a second 'Set Sail' 5G expansion plan aims for 85% 5G penetration and 75% of network traffic on 5G. The total number of 5G base stations in China reached 4.486 million as of the end of May (2025), according to data released by the country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
The world's first mobile 5G base station that is ready for deployment in battlefield conditions has been developed by China. Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers in action. China has introduced the world's first mobile 5G base station that is ready for deployment in battlefield conditions.
China Mobile, the world's largest mobile carrier in terms of subscribers, had previously outlined plans to deploy 340,000 additional 5G base stations in 2025. With these new 5G deployments, China Mobile's total 5G base stations will reach nearly 2.8 million by the end of 2025.
Get detailed specifications, case studies, and technical data for our PV container and energy storage solutions.
123 Renewable Energy Street
London EC1A 1BB, United Kingdom
+44 20 7127 4182
Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM GMT