Green Network Index: round one

The complexity of reorienting network strategy around sustainability means a clear framework is key for prioritising when and where actions should be taken. This report outlines such a framework, offering telecoms operators and their suppliers a 'true north' to guide decision-making.

Sustained cost pressures and commitments to net zero have made energy efficiency a strategic priority for mobile operators, network infrastructure providers and tower companies. Working closely with a global set of mobile operators, GSMA Intelligence leveraged its independent position and analytical capabilities to launch its Energy Efficiency Analysis and Benchmarking project in 2020. The benchmark is based on real-world data inputs and aims to quantify network energy consumption, efficiency levels and fuel sources. For this edition, GSMA Intelligence invited infrastructure providers and tower companies to participate, sharing their data on energy efficiency.

While there are several indicators and metrics in telecoms, the industry has traditionally lacked a global, comprehensive metric to measure environmental sustainability. In 2025, GSMA Intelligence developed the Green Network Index (GNI), which proposed a single figure to measure the overall environmental sustainability for telecoms networks and help establish a path to greener networks. The second edition of the Green Network Index has expanded to include 138 networks, benchmarking progress at the operator and country levels.