TELECOMMUNICATION companies have transformed the way we connect with people around the globe. But what does it take for telcos to deliver innovative solutions that will meet the ever-changing needs of customers? How far will operators go before the world feels the environmental reverberations of their tech developments? The ecological impact and costs of technological advancements made by the telco industry might be more sinister than we think.

Impact on environment 

As the world emerges from the aftermath of Covid-19, the unprecedented demand for digital communications has pushed telco infrastructures into greater energy consumption. According to GSMA Intelligence, energy consumption accounted for 15 per cent – 40 per cent of telcos’ operating expenditure in 2021.