ITU OKs Universal Phone Charger Standard
The ITU this week gave its stamp of approval to an energy-efficient universal charger for mobile phones.
The new Universal Charging Solution (UCS) enables the same charger to be used for all future handsets, regardless of make and model. In addition to dramatically cutting the number of chargers produced, shipped and subsequently discarded as new models become available, the new standard will mean users worldwide will be able to charge their mobiles anywhere from any available charger, while also reducing the energy consumed while charging.
The new UCS standard was based on input from the GSMA, which predicts a 50 percent reduction in standby energy consumption, elimination of 51,000 tons of redundant chargers, and a subsequent reduction of 13.6 million tons in greenhouse gas emissions each year.
Standardization of the solution within ITU was completed by Study Group 5 – Environment and Climate Change, and will hasten broad adoption by industry. Based on the Micro-USB interface, UCS chargers will also include a four-star or higher efficiency rating — up to three times more energy-efficient than an unrated charger.
