Telecom Operators Move Billions Into Clean Power and RAN Efficiency This Month
Major carriers announced new green bonds, PPAs, and AI-driven network power savings over the past three weeks, signaling a decisive turn in telecom decarbonization. Vendors rolled out energy-efficient 5G upgrades as regulators tightened disclosure rules and customers demanded lower-carbon connectivity.
Capital Flows Into Clean Power and Net-Zero Plans
Over the last three weeks, carriers accelerated financing and procurement for low-carbon networks, pairing fresh capital with concrete energy targets. On November 12, 2025, Vodafone outlined a new renewable power strategy for European operations, adding a 200 MW solar PPA expected to deliver roughly 400 GWh annually and cut CO2 emissions by an estimated 160,000 tons. On November 21, 2025, Telefónica said it will issue a €1 billion green bond to fund fiber upgrades, energy-efficient RAN modernization, and electric fleet transition in Spain and Brazil.
U.S. For more on related telecoms developments. carriers also moved decisively. On November 17, 2025, AT&T disclosed additional renewable PPAs totaling 1.2 TWh per year to backstop its 2035 net-zero operations goal, while Verizon detailed diesel-free tower trials using battery-hybrid systems and HVO fuel across the Northeast. These initiatives align with broader expectations for telecom decarbonization and reporting under the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, according to the European Commission.
RAN Efficiency: Vendors Ship Energy-Saving 5G Upgrades
Network equipment providers pushed energy-saving features into the field to curb baseline power draw across 5G sites. On November 19, 2025, Deutsche Telekom began piloting Ericsson’s AI-based traffic-aware “micro-sleep” modes, reporting up to 18% off-peak energy reductions in urban clusters through dynamic carrier shutdowns and intelligent load steering with Ericsson. In parallel, Nokia launched an updated energy optimization suite for 5G Advanced, adding liquid-cooled baseband options and automated antenna shutdowns that the company says can lower site-level consumption by 15–30% depending on topology.
Open RAN deployments also saw efficiency-focused updates. On November 25, 2025, Rakuten Symphony...