Ericsson stated Australian operator Telstra was left better positioned to manage its network operations after a first deployment in the southern hemisphere of a 5G-Advanced (5G-A) energy management system.

The Automated Energy Saver (AES) identifies optimal times to turn antenna branches on or off based on real-time data, in turn optimising the 5G new radio network’s Massive MIMO sleep function. Ericsson explained the system balances power saving with maintaining customer experience, noting a key element is the ability for the operator to assign specific quality levels to a particular node.

Ericsson added its work with Telstra is a vital step towards programmable, intelligent and performance-based networks. The companies are also evaluating augmented carrier aggregation.

AES is offered as part of Ericsson’s 5G-A software products. It stated the set-up forms an element in a broader shift towards intent-based automation, where service-based metrics are employed in the RAN in place of manual parameters.

Ericsson stated manually setting sites to the “sweet spot between energy savings and network performance is extremely challenging” for operators, though argued this makes the task “a perfect use case for intent-based automation”.

Telstra network engineering executive Sri Amirthalingam said the AES is a key step in a move towards intent-driven networks by the operator as it moves to “optimise performance without impacting the experiences of our customers”.