In the early days of development of 5G standards, there was a lofty ambition that the technology would make dramatic improvements in the energy consumption of cellular networks. However, as real world deployments have come closer, it has been clear that the situation is more complicated. The 5G New Radio design may be power-efficient, but it will be deployed in far greater density than previous cellular platforms, which means total power usage and output in a given area could be higher than in 4G. Switzerland, which has unusually stringent regulations regarding power outputs, has even halted MNOs’ deployments of 5G to new sites while it waits for further assessment of power issues and potential health implications. But the vendors, whose…