Deutsche Telekom cloud revamp cuts 5G core energy use by up to 65%

Deutsche Telekom says it has cut energy use in its 5G core network by as much as 65% in early live tests of a new cloud-based architecture built with Lenovo, HPE, AMD and Mavenir. The system monitors power consumption and traffic patterns, then dials computing and network resources up or down so components run only when needed.

The setup spans the full stack, from servers and processors to operating systems, cloud infrastructure and 5G core software. Lenovo supplied optimised servers, HPE provided energy‑efficient network kit, AMD delivered low‑power processors and software, and Mavenir contributed new 5G software features. The design sits on Deutsche Telekom’s in-house Horizontal Telco Cloud, a standards-based platform meant to replace siloed network solutions. Product and technology board member Abdu Mudesir said automation and AI are built into the infrastructure to shift efficiency gains from hardware alone to software-led control. Deutsche Telekom plans AI algorithms to predict traffic and pre-activate powered-down components, with more details due at MWC26 Barcelona.