Orange and Nokia have signed an agreement to increase the use of refurbished equipment in telecoms infrastructure.
Refurbished network equipment will be offered by Nokia to all Orange subsidiaries via BuyIn, the procurement alliance of Orange and Deutsche Telekom.
The joint commitment will comprise radio-based equipment (“Radio Access Network”), with medium and long-term plans to also encompass other network equipment. The refurbishment process is expected to generate reductions in carbon emissions as opposed to manufacturing new equipment. Furthermore, with this contract, Orange and Nokia want to offer a competitive and reliable alternative to network operators.
On the Orange side, the agreement is part of a larger programme called OSCAR which will contribute to the achievement of the Net Zero Carbon objective in 2040 set by the group. It aims to put the circular economy at the heart of infrastructure networks by reusing existing equipment wherever possible. OSCAR sets clear targets for the reuse of components and the limited use of new materials.
Meanwhile, Nokia has also set ambitious targets as previously announced, aiming to cut emissions across its value chain by 50% between 2019 and 2030 as part of its renewed science-based targets.
Commenting on the agreement, Ramon Fernandez, Orange’s delegate CEO, executive director finance, performance and development, said: “We are proud to share our common vision of the circular economy with Nokia, a vision where environmental exemplarity supports sustainable value creation. This mutual understanding leads today to this first major contractual step forward for the Orange Group and its subsidiaries, with a positive environmental impact for our two groups”.
Tommi Uitto, president of mobile networks at Nokia, added: “Committing to circularity takes us another step closer to achieving our own climate goals, as well as supporting our customers in achieving theirs. Digitalization reduces waste, reuse extends product life, and through this we are able to realise the full value of our products. This framework agreement demonstrates the importance of collaboration in resolving the big challenges society faces and we all need to act together”.
