The GSMA and 17 mobile operators and manufacturers announced that they are committed to a cross-industry
standard for a universal charger for new mobile phones. What this means is that one charger would work will all the phones.
The move should result in approximately per cent
reduction in standby energy consumption, the possible elimination of
up to 51,000 tons of duplicate chargers and reduction of customer frustration..
The target date to create the universal charging
solution (UCS) is 2012. It will use Micro-USB as the common universal charging interface. The
group agreed that by the 1st
January 2012, the majority of all new mobile phone models available
will support a universal charging connector and the majority of
chargers shipped will meet the high efficiency targets set out by the
OMTP (Open Mobile Terminal Platform), the industry body who developed
the technical requirements behind UCS.
The
initial group of companies who have joined the GSMA's UCS initiative
include 3 Group, AT&T, KTF, LG, mobilkom austria, Motorola, Nokia,
Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Telecom Italia, Telefónica,
Telenor, Telstra, T-Mobile and Vodafone - some of the world's largest
mobile operators and manufacturers who together are committed to making
a universal charging solution a reality up to 2012 and beyond.
A universal charger will also make life much simpler for the consumer,
who will be able to use the same charger for future handsets, as well
as being able to charge their mobile phone anywhere from any available
charger. UCS chargers will also include a 4-star2 or higher efficiency rating, which is up to three times more energy-efficient than an unrated charger3. Furthermore, with potentially 50 per cent less chargers4
being manufactured each year, the industry can expect to reduce
greenhouse gases in manufacturing and transporting replacement chargers
by 13.6 to 21.8 million tonnes a year. To ensure the uptake of a
universal charging solution, the operators and manufacturers who have
partnered with the GSMA to launch this initiative are working alongside
the OMTP to roll-out the new solution in order to meet the targets set
for 2012. The initiative will also work with the wider operator and
manufacturing communities to secure global participation and commitment
as well as educate the industry and promote the benefits of a universal
charger via a targeted marketing campaign.