In this paper presents the main approaches to improve energy efficiency of telecommunications network. The main attention is focused on technological and architectural approaches to reduce power consumption. Shown the correlation approaches to improve energy efficiency.
In technological approaches presented the main technical parameters that determine the energy efficiency of optical switches and converts, where the main approach of such devices is to removal expensive and energy intensive optoelectronic conversion. Presented all-optical switches, their energy and time switching. There are also advantages of all-optical converters based on nonlinear effects in terms of energy efficiency. Main attention is drawn on the directions of development of all-optical devices and found that the most relevant today is a device based on optical effects. The work presents prospects are searching electro-, acousto-, thermo- and nonlinear optical coefficient for these devices.
Reviewed the prospects of effective using of available wavelengths because each of these waves consume about 1.2 kW of electricity.
Shows the prospects of use asynchronous transport technologies such as Optical Transport Network(OTN) and Gigabit Ethernet and benefits in term of energy efficiency, because transport technologies Synchronous Digital Hierarchy(SDH) inefficiently uses bandwidth of optical channel that influence on energy efficiency telecommunication network. Presented the advantages of using crosscutting-channel with removal of intermediate optoelectronic conversion.
Established that the lower limit power consumption of telecommunication networks determine access network, where for today the most energy efficient technology is passive optical network(PON). No less important factor in the energy consumption of telecommunications networks determines the hardware manufacture. Found that one of the less energy efficiency devices is core router and shows the main part that define its energy consumption.
In architectural approaches to improve network energy efficiency presented the transfer of information processing from the router to the lower level.
Done calculation of energy consumption of telecommunications equipment for typical network with intermediate optoelectronic conversion and without it. In calculated example shows that energy efficiency transport optical network increased by 63% when removed intermediate optoelectronic conversion and opening crosscutting channel.