TELCOSUS01-BP01 Implement energy-efficient infrastructure for telco networks
When designing telco network infrastructure for sustainability, focus on optimizing compute resources, implementing intelligent scaling, and leveraging edge computing to reduce energy consumption. Start by analyzing your current network functions deployment patterns - including virtual network functions (VNFs), cloud-based network functions (CNFs), and support systems like business support systems (BSS) and operations support systems (OSS).
Desired outcome: Achieve reduction in energy consumption across telco network operations through optimized infrastructure deployment, intelligent auto scaling, and efficient resource utilization while maintaining service availability and meeting service requirements.
Benefits of establishing this practice:
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Reduced energy costs through efficient resource utilization.
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Progress toward net-zero emissions commitments and Science Based Targets.
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Meeting government mandates for carbon reduction in telecommunications.
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Improved performance through right-sized infrastructure.
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Automated scaling reduces manual intervention and human error.
Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established: Low
Implementation guidance
For compute optimization, use AWS Compute Optimizer to analyze your EC2 instances running telco workloads and receive recommendations for rightsizing. Deploy your network functions on AWS Graviton-based instances which provide up to 60% better energy efficiency compared to comparable x86-based instances. For containerized network functions, use Amazon ECS with AWS Fargate Spot or Amazon EKS with Karpenter to automatically optimize container placement and reduce idle capacity.
Implement edge computing strategies using AWS Outposts, AWS Local Zones, or AWS Wavelength to process data closer to Radio Access Network (RAN) sites and end users. This reduces backhaul traffic and core network energy consumption. For 5G deployments, use AWS Wavelength to embed compute and storage at the network edge within telecommunications providers' datacenters.
Configure AWS Auto Scaling with predictive scaling policies based on historical traffic patterns typical in telco networks (peak hours, special events, seasonal variations). Use Amazon CloudWatch to monitor metrics like CPU utilization, network throughput, and custom metrics from your network functions to trigger scaling actions.
Implementation steps
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Deploy AWS Compute Optimizer and analyze recommendations for EC2 instances running telco workloads. Generate reports to identify over-provisioned instances and potential savings.
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Implement tagging strategy for telco resources using tags like Environment, NetworkFunction, TrafficPattern to enable granular monitoring and optimization.
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Configure AWS Systems Manager to automatically stop non-production telco workloads during off-hours and weekends using Maintenance Windows and Automation documents.
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Deploy Amazon CloudWatch Container Insights for ECS/EKS clusters running containerized network functions to identify idle containers and optimization opportunities.
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Set up AWS Auto Scaling with target tracking policies for core network functions, using metrics like requests per second or concurrent sessions typical in telco workloads.
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Implement AWS Lambda for event-driven telco functions like billing notifications, network alerts, and configuration updates to reduce idle compute.
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Use AWS Cost and Usage Reports with hourly granularity to correlate resource usage with network traffic patterns and identify optimization windows.
Resources
Key AWS services:
