The internet produces hundreds of million tons of carbon each year. Global internet usage makes up around 3.7 percent of global CO2 emissions, which is equal to the CO2 emissions of all the air traffic around the world, according to 8 Billion Trees.
The use of fiber, however, consumes very little energy and helps decrease greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the internet’s impact on the environment, according to Jason Hotujec, Director of Engineering at WIN Technology. “One of the greatest benefits of fiber optics from a sustainability standpoint is its low energy consumption levels,” Hotujec wrote on the company’s website. “Compared to cable internet, fiber optic consumes up to 12 times less energy when transmitting data.”
Replacing copper infrastructure is a priority for Altafiber, which provides integrated communications solutions to residential and business customers in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, reported Broadband Breakfast. The company plans to reduce its emissions by 40 percent by 2030, according to Nadja Turek, director of sustainability at Altafiber.
The company announced this week it has raised $600 million to support the continued construction of its fiber networks throughout incumbent and expansion markets in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Hawaii.
Since September 2021, the Altafiber has passed around 300,000 addresses with fiber for a total of 1.1 million homes. The company expects to complete the construction of fiber to every single-family unit within Greater Cincinnati by the end of 2023 and complete the construction of Hawaii’s statewide fiber network by the end of 2027. It is currently assisting Maui residents with getting back online after the recent wildfires.
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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