Numerous studies are analyzing the impact of data transmission networks in terms of environmental impact. When it comes to internet pollution various aspects must be taken into consideration, ranging from the construction of the infrastructure, to the impact that each individual user has on the environment when he/she operates on a device, surfing the internet or sending an email, and also how much the presence of a high-performance network can reduce the movement of people favoring remote actions over physical presence.
How does optical fiber help protect the environment?
As far as network infrastructures are concerned, it is now clear how those that use the copper are obsolete, low performing and also with a greater impact on the environment both during their construction and while they are used to exchange data. Let's go step by step, the construction of networks that use copper requires that this be extracted by producing, according to a 2018 study by Carbon Smart, around 1000 kg of CO2 for every 2 kilos extracted, while the creation of a fiber cable of equivalent length requires the emission of only 0.06 kg of CO2. Furthermore, the stability and the large transmission capacity of fiber-only networks allow it to be carried out remote activity reducing, for example, home/work travel. As underlined in the study drawn up by SQW in 2013 on the UK market, in which it was estimated that the achievement of a broadband coverage on a large scale by 2024 it would have led to a reduction of 2.3 billion km in home/work travel, leading to savings of 0.24 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
Open Fiber's fiber has already reached nearly 15 million units
Italy, with the arrival of Open Fiber which is building an entirely optical fiber network and which has already reached just under 15 million real estate units throughout the country, is moving up the rankings in terms of reduction of the digital divide which until a few years ago saw it in the bottom places of the EU. In terms of sustainability, Open Fiber is also in a position to enhance its intrinsic sustainability in environmental, economic and social terms. By creating a cutting-edge TLC infrastructure, Open Fiber can make a concrete contribution to achieving some SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), the 17 United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, it allows communities to be equipped with modern and resilient infrastructures; contributes to reducing inequalities within the country by breaking down the digital divide; it is essential to make cities and communities sustainable.
Open Fiber and Aspi for the digitization of infrastructures
In a broader view, the applications of fiber optic networks allow a Smart cities and smart roads to function by making travel and logistics more efficient, reducing waste by monitoring consumption and predictive maintenance of infrastructures. All of this is at the heart of the Memorandum of Understanding - a formal agreement with no legal application between the parties - recently signed with Aspi aimed at enhancing the digitization of infrastructure, roads and networks, through the implementation of initiatives in the field of smart cities, ITS systems (Intelligent Transport Systems), smart roads, e-mobility and, more generally, sustainable and innovative mobility.
