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Create 2

The Customer

Liverpool 5G Ltd. is a not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to bringing the right people together to enhance connectivity for public services, people and businesses. Create 2, set out to demonstrate 5G Stand Alone network can be used to deliver enhanced public services using  low-cost and unobtrusive small cells to provide coverage in high-density areas.  The project had both a technical innovation and social services focus.

On the technical side:

  • Exploit specific innovative features of 5G NR Stand Alone (SA) technology (notably end-to-end Quality of Service and segregation of traffic)
  • Demonstrate cost-effective use of mmWave mesh back-haul for small cells

On the social service side:

  • Reduce digital poverty for vulnerable people in need, providing safe, free and accessible connectivity to services including health, social care and education. 
  • For people with long-term health conditions - enhance and extend cost effective independent living through 5G enabled services 

This 5G testbed project was located in the Kensington area of Liverpool and consisted of small cells connected to lamp posts, providing connectivity to various premises like homes, GP surgeries, and pharmacies.  These small cells were connected via millimeter wave line-of-sight backhaul to a data centre in the Liverpool Innovation Park.

The Challenge

Overall the project faced and overcame a wide range of technical and user adoption type  challenges. However, specific to the NetZeroNet (NZN) tool, Liverpool 5G were looking to develop a clearer and more accurate assessment of the energy and carbon footprint associated with the data traffic load.  As well as providing a solid baseline for more fairly attributing costs based on use, Liverpool 5G were looking to assess network efficiency and identify opportunities for operating cost and carbon savings  

Our Approach

 
Working closely with the customer, the NZN team gathered detailed information regarding the network architecture, components and typical use scenarios.  Supplemented with power ratings from the equipment manufacturers, this was uploaded to the NZN data base and used to develop a model of the network and again working with the customer used to simulate and validate the network’s operation   


What we delivered

 

  1. A validated digital twin of the Create 2 network topology and configuration net zero net
  2. A visualisation of the network flows (see right) capturing energy efficiency at the level of the network elements net zero net
  3. Insights to optimise the network design

What the Customer said








                                                   



“NetZeroNet has shown us a clearer picture where energy is being used across our CREATE2 5G network. For the first time, we can see which parts use the most power and how different usage affects overall efficiency. This helps us better understand and control our running costs and shows how environmentally friendly our network is.

The real benefit of NZN is that it helps Liverpool 5G stand out. We can now look at any network setup, no matter who makes the equipment. This means we can give our clients solid, evidence-based advice about their 5G set up - not just on how well the network performs, but also on saving energy and reducing emissions, which everyone cares about these days"

Ann Williams    Programnme Director, Liverpool 5G

Find out more

 

More details of the project can be found in the links below, also feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

NZN Create 2 White Paper