Abstract
In today’s 5G era, the energy efficiency (EE) of cellular base stations is crucial for sustainable communication. Recognizing this, Mobile Network Operators are actively prioritizing EE for both network maintenance and environmental stewardship in future cellular networks. The paper aims to provide an outline of energy-efficient solutions for base stations of wireless cellular networks. A total of 5722 studies have been figured out by using the search string and after performing the six stages of SLR protocol, 82 studies were finalised that are published in 26 supreme journals and 19 featured conferences. EE solutions have been segregated into five primary categories: base station hardware components, sleep mode strategies, radio transmission mechanisms, network deployment and planning, and energy harvesting. The predominance of sleep mode procedures is evident in the selected survey studies. Notably, China, Korea, and the US are vigorously engaged in this field, specifically related to the 5G network. This review paper identifies the possible potential solutions for reducing the energy consumption of the networks and discusses the challenges so that more accurate and valid measures could be designed for future research.
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Appendices
Appendix A: Acronyms
3GPP | Third Generation Partnership Project |
5G | Fifth Generation |
AMF | Access and Mobility Management Function |
BS | Base Station |
C2POWER | Cognitive radio and Cooperative strategies for POWER saving |
CAPEX | Capital expenditures |
CoMP | Coordinated Multi-Point transmission and reception |
CR | Cognitive Radio |
DL | DownLink |
EARTH | Energy Aware Radio and neTwork tecHnologies |
EE | Energy Efficiency |
GHG | Greenhouse gas emissions |
HetNet | Heterogenous Network |
ICT | Information and Communications Technology |
IIOT | Industrial Internet of Things |
mMIMO | massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output |
MNO | Mobile Network Operators |
MU-MC | Multi user and Multi cell |
OFDM | Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing |
OPEX | Operating Expenses |
PA | Power Amplifier |
PAPR | Peak to average power ratio |
PPP | Poisson Point Process |
PSO | Particle Swarm Optimization |
QA | Question Answers |
QAC | Quality Assurance Criteria |
QAM | Quadrature Amplitude Modulation |
QoS | Quality of service |
QPSK | Quadrature Phase Shift Keying |
RAN | Radio Access Network |
RAT | Radio access technology |
RQ | Research Question |
SE | Spectral Efficiency |
SLR | Systematic Literature Review |
SWIPT | Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer |
UAV | Unmanned Aerial Vehicle |
UDN | UltraDense Networks |
UE | User Equipment |
UL | UpLink |
URLLC | Ultra-reliable Low Latency Communications |
Appendix B: Quality assessment criteria
1.1 Appendix B.1: Quality assessment framework
Section 1 | Screening Question | Does the research paper mention about EE problem of wireless networks? Does the paper specifically refer to the energy consumption problem of base stations? | After evaluating Sect. 1, proceed to Sect. 2 if you obtain a positive response; otherwise, reject the research. |
Section 2 | Analysis of EE improvement techniques | Does the study depict the technique used for EE of base stations? How well does that approach work, and can it be classified? Has the study mentioned the type of EE technique employed or the details of the algorithms used in the research process? | If the above elements are well-explained, then proceed on to Sect. 3. |
Findings | Is there a concise summary of the findings? Was the experiment’s result shown in the study? Is there enough data for the comparative analysis? | Accept the study if the aforementioned findings are adequately stated; otherwise, reject it. | |
Section 5 | Accuracy Analysis | Is there a discussion over the critical accuracy measures used? Verify if the study is evaluated for accuracy measurement as per the metrics defined in the paper. | Accept it if the aforementioned questions are successfully addressed; otherwise, reject it. |
1.2 Appendix B.2: Quality assessment flow
The flowchart represents the flow of questions asked for checking the quality of extracted studies.
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Appendix C: Main highlights of study
The table represents some of the glimpses of the review paper.
Key point statements | Associated facts |
---|---|
The year wherein the first thought of research on EE of wireless networks got initiated | Was 1992 by J. C. Kelly |
The year from which the research on this topic speeded up | 2010 onwards |
The motivation behind the interest of scholars in this field | High cost and environmental concern |
The active continent in this research | Asia |
Active countries in this research | China and US |
Active researcher | Emil Björnson |
Major project | EARTH |
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Kaur, P., Garg, R. & Kukreja, V. Energy-efficiency schemes for base stations in 5G heterogeneous networks: a systematic literature review. Telecommun Syst 84, 115–151 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11235-023-01037-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11235-023-01037-x