Hybrid Mobile Network Base Station Power-Off Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid mobile networks face inefficiencies in power consumption and operational costs due to base stations drawing significant power during low offload volumes, leading to high energy and cost expenditures despite minimal utilization.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a cost power engine that utilizes net present value (NPV) thresholds to dynamically turn off and on base stations based on traffic usage, leveraging dual SIM mobile devices to transition between service provider and MVNO networks, and considering mobility and coverage factors to optimize power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If base stations are kept on continuously to maintain network coverage, then network availability and coverage are improved, but power consumption and operational costs increase significantly during low utilization periods
Solution Approach 1:
The base station power state is made dynamic rather than static. The system automatically transitions base stations between powered-on and powered-off states based on real-time traffic patterns and offload opportunities, allowing the network to adapt its power consumption to actual usage conditions while maintaining coverage where needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter of base station power state based on traffic conditions. By monitoring metrics such as offload volume, traffic patterns, and network utilization, the system adjusts the power state parameter of base stations to match actual network demands, reducing energy consumption during low-activity periods while maintaining availability when traffic requires it
2Reliability
If base stations operate during low offload volume times, then network coverage is maintained, but operational costs and energy expenditure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor base station utilization metrics, traffic patterns, and offload opportunities. This feedback information is used to automatically adjust base station power states, ensuring that energy is not wasted on base stations that are not currently needed while maintaining availability when traffic conditions require it
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic evaluation of network conditions to determine optimal base station power states. By continuously assessing traffic patterns and offload opportunities at regular intervals, the system can dynamically adjust power consumption to match actual network needs, reducing energy waste during low-utilization periods
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for saving power in a hybrid mobile network in view of traffic usage and operational costs. A method includes employing, by a service provider, a first wireless network and a second wireless network, wherein the first wireless network is controlled by the service provider and the second wireless network is not controlled by the service provider, receiving, by a cost power engine from an operations support system, traffic usage information from one or more base stations of the first wireless network to turn off power to base stations at the first wireless network. The method can include generating, by the cost power engine, a power off list based on the traffic usage information falling below a cost power off threshold, and sending, by the cost power engine to service provider components, the power off list to turn off power to base stations on the power off list.