RF Wireless Power Transfer: Regreening Future Networks

Over the past few years, green radio communication has drawn much attention from the research community, and it has a strong impact on various aspects, such as telecom businesses, wireless technologies, and natural environments. Specifically, the cost of electricity and CO2emissions have been increasing due to wireless network operation. For instance, the number of base stations (BSs) is more than 4 million, and each BS consumes an average of 25 MWh/year (an estimated approximate of 80% of the total network's power consumption). Bearing in mind the environmental perspective, generating sufficient power to supply the networks causes a significant CO2footprint. Particularly, the overall footprint of information and communication technology (ICT) services (e.g., computer, cell phone, and satellite networks) is predicted to triple by 2020.