Broadband: The 98 Percent Solution

At first glance, broadband and the environment might not seem to have much in common; but the speed and versatility that broadband brings to the Internet offer numerous ways individuals, businesses and governments can reduce their carbon footprint -- and make life easier, too.

The telecommunications industry and the larger information communications technology (ICT) industry account for only about 2 percent of global CO2 emissions, yet the wireline and wireless broadband technologies that companies like Verizon provide greatly reduce the 98 percent contributed by other industries. Examples include:

• If 50 percent of the 2.5 billion DVDs and VHS tapes rented per year were delivered via video on demand -- a service Verizon offers via FiOS TV -- the reduction in energy would be equal to the annual electricity consumption of about 200,000 households.
• Higher broadband speeds allow workers to have a virtual presence from anywhere, which can result in an annual savings of 62 hours in commuting time, $1,201 in commuting costs and 1,751 pounds of CO2 emissions not dispersed into the environment.
• Verizon Business offers high-definition teleconferencing and “telepresence” products and services, which help lower costs, connect employees in distant locations and reduce CO2 emissions by three to four tons for each international flight not taken.
• Broadband and information communications technology can dramatically increase the efficiency in the transmission, distribution and the use of electricity, creating “smart grids” that can save consumers money and reduce CO2 emissions.

Recent studies have shown how broadband usage and ICT can have a huge environmental impact by reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

A November 2008 report by Smart 2020 USA, the “Global e-Sustainability Initiative,” estimates that ICT can reduce emissions in the U.S. by up to 22 percent by 2020 through environmentally-friendly practices such as smart logistics, smart buildings and a smart power grid, and by reducing travel through video conferencing and telework.

A 2007 American Consumer Institute study found these major reductions in emissions are possible over 10 years:

• Telecommuting could reduce office space and car commutes, saving 588 million tons.
• Widespread teleconferencing could eliminate one-tenth of all flights, saving 200 million tons.
• E-commerce could reduce warehousing and long-distance shipping, saving 206 million tons.
• Online sale and distribution of digital goods such as music, books, newspapers and movies could reduce emissions by 67 million tons.

The two studies also show how widespread adoption of high-speed Internet could cut up to 36 percent of U.S. oil imports each year and eliminate a billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 10 years.

Verizon is the only company with the nation’s most-advanced, fiber-optic (FiOS) network, directly connecting to homes and businesses across 16 states. The company is building this all-fiber-optic network using gigabit passive optical network (GPON) technology, the second generation of optical networking equipment. More than 40 percent of homes passed by fiber will be served by this technology by the end of 2009, rising to 50 percent in 2010.

With download speeds of up to 50 Mbps (megabits per second) and industry-leading upload speeds of up to 20 Mbps, Verizon’s future-proof, ultra-fast broadband networks enable our customers to use today’s technology and have the capacity to run tomorrow’s technology. These networks are already helping customers reduce their travel through high-definition video conferencing and by teleworking, and are playing an increasingly significant role in enabling smart logistics, smart buildings and a smart power grid.