The low energy consumption networks (ECONET) project

The ECONET project is a 3-year large-scale Integrating Project (IP) running from October 2010 to September 2013, co-funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme. The ECONET project aims at studying and exploiting dynamic adaptive technologies (based on standby and performance scaling capabilities) for wired network devices that allow saving energy when a device (or part of it) is not used. The project will be devoted to re-thinking and redesigning wired network equipment and infrastructures towards more energy-sustainable and eco-friendly technologies and perspectives. The overall idea is to introduce novel green network-specific paradigms and concepts enabling to reduce the energy requirements of wired network equipment by 50% in the short to mid-term (and by 80% in the long run). To this end, the main challenge will be to design, develop and test novel technologies, integrated control criteria and mechanisms for network equipment. The final aim is to enable energy saving by adapting network capacities and resources to current traffic loads and user requirements, while ensuring end-to-end Quality of Service.