PLDT unit turns to green energy solutions to lower power needs

THE WIRELESS unit of PLDT Inc. has tapped artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions to advance its operations while also reducing its cell sites’ power needs, the telecommunications company said. 

Smart Communications, Inc., PLDT’s subsidiary, has deployed green radio network solutions for all its wireless radio sites, the company said in a media release on Sunday. 

This would allow Smart to reduce its energy needs and lower its carbon dioxide emissions. 

“Smart’s nationwide network is supported with advanced [and] intelligent functionalities maximizing operational efficiencies. Running the network constantly even when traffic is much lower, especially during evening hours, is costly and inefficient in the use of network resources,” PLDT and Smart Head of Network Quality Radames Vittorio B. Zalameda said. 

The company said it started implementing the solutions across the company’s network last year.

The green radio network solution allows Smart to consolidate and conserve radio resources by allowing it to adjust the load capacity automatically and remotely. 

“Intelligent and automated shutdowns, sleep, adaptive power to traffic consumption, and multilayer radio power optimization are among the newest eco-friendly innovations that Smart has implemented on its network to help cut its energy cost,” Smart said. 

Since utilizing the technology, the company was able to reduce its power consumption by around 10,900 megawatt-hours, which is the equivalent of carbon dioxide emission from the energy consumption of 920 households per year. 

Smart said the AI-powered solution has time-based activation options enabling it to activate the technology based on the traffic trend. 

“Our green radio innovation is proven to harness artificial intelligence to track activity on our network so that we can reduce the power consumption of our cell sites whenever they are not being fully utilized,” Mr. Zalameda said. 

The company’s initiative to tap emerging technologies to lower its energy requirements is part of PLDT group’s decarbonization goal where the company is targeting to cut its carbon emissions by 40% by the end of the decade.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Ashley Erika O. Jose