Ebrahim, RozeenaVilakazi, Mlamuli CMabunda, Ntsako DMakaleng, Koketso FSikrenya, Siyanda KSLysko, Albert AMfupe, Luzango P2025-09-262025-09-262025-070-7988-5673-4http://hdl.handle.net/10204/14422As Fifth Generation (5G) and future mobile networks continue to expand, understanding the power consumption of the base transceiver station (BTS) is necessary for improving the energy efficiency of the Radio Access Network (RAN). The power consumption of the BTS is influenced by factors such as its operating mode, transmission power and traffic levels. This work has explored the power consumption of an outdoor commercial 5G New Radio (NR) BTS using an inexpensive and custom-built power measurement setup. Indoor testing was done at a reduced transmit power level to analyse the power consumption under different operation modes. The measurements presented a clear correlation between activity levels and energy usage. Insights have been provided into the power consumption requirements of outdoor BTSs compared to 5G setups deployed on an in-house, indoor mobile network testbed, including the trade-off between energy efficiency and operational stability. Further, these findings have highlighted areas for future research, such as the impact of deployment environments, transmit power levels and the number of connected devices on energy efficiency. Understanding these factors is considered essential for designing, building and deploying more sustainable mobile networks for the future.Fulltexten5GBase Transceiver StationEnergy EfficiencyMobile NetworksNRArticleN/A