How Does AI & Cloud Help Deutsche Telekom Save Energy on 5G?

Deutsche Telekom is delivering a step forward in network efficiency, achieving energy savings of up to 65% in its mobile core through an innovative, demand-driven approach to resource management and hardware optimisation.

The project, grounded in the principle "Zero Bits, Zero Watts,” aims to ensure that when no data is being transmitted, minimal energy is consumed – all while maintaining high reliability and service quality.

It is designed to shift how mobile networks manage computational resources during periods of varying demand.

“In initial live tests, we achieved up to a 65% reduction in energy consumption within the core network,” says Abdu Mudesir, Board Member Product & Technology at Deutsche Telekom.

“Efficiency is no longer driven solely by new hardware but also by intelligent, software-based management.”

The project reflects Telekom's broader ambition to improve network efficiency and optimise operational performance, following its milestone achievement of full carbon neutrality in operations in 2025.

Strategic technology partnerships drive results

Central to this achievement is a strategic collaboration with four leading technology companies.

Lenovo provides optimised server hardware, while HPE delivers energy-efficient network components. AMD contributes high-performance, energy-saving EPYC processors and supporting software and Mavenir supplies pioneering 5G software features being deployed for the first time.

Together, these partners have helped Telekom design and test a scalable concept that reduces energy use across all layers of the 5G core.

Following successful live network trials, Telekom is now preparing for a wider rollout and refining the system with AI capabilities to predict traffic patterns and dynamically activate or power down components as needed.

The collaboration demonstrates how telecommunications operators can leverage vendor partnerships to drive innovation. By combining expertise across hardware, software and network domains, Telekom has created an integrated approach to energy management.

This multi-vendor strategy allows for flexibility and avoids dependency on single suppliers. 

Full stack energy efficiency model

At the heart of Telekom's breakthrough lies its “Full Stack Energy Efficiency” model — a holistic approach that treats the 5G core as a multi-layered ecosystem.

Rather than optimising components in isolation, this model evaluates interdependencies between hardware, software and network layers.

The system maps every element systematically, from processors and cloud infrastructure to operating systems and the 5G core service itself, enabling targeted interventions that maximise efficiency across the entire stack.

“In the 5G core network, we continuously monitor utilisation, detect patterns in data traffic and dynamically allocate computing and network resources as required,” Abdu explains.

“Components no longer operate continuously but only when needed. This lays the foundation for a new approach to energy management, where every single service and component is optimised to save energy.”

The approach could offer insights into how telecommunications operators might balance performance requirements with resource optimisation as network demands continue to evolve.

Unified cloud architecture transformation

Supporting this transformation is Telekom's new “Horizontal Telco Cloud,” a unified architecture replacing fragmented legacy systems with a standardised, shared platform.

Developed with Amdocs, HPE, Mavenir and Nokia, this cloud foundation enables simplified operations, faster innovation and seamless scaling of optimisations.

Based on open standards and open-source components, the Horizontal Telco Cloud also supports AI-driven, dynamically managed networks — where resource allocation adjusts automatically to real-time demand patterns.

“Automation and AI are not add-ons for us, but an integral part of our infrastructure,” Abdu says.

“The Horizontal Telco Cloud, developed in-house by our teams, has been expanded into a highly automated and scalable core network with the support of our partners. By consistently leveraging open standards and open-source components, we are establishing a blueprint for the industry.”

This standardised approach positions Telekom to scale innovations rapidly across its network infrastructure.