ITU Approves Standard for Universal Cell Phone Charger
Looks like we may be getting one step closer to a one-size-fits-all universal cell phone charger –at last.
Yesterday in Geneva, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) gave its okay to a new standard that enables the same charger to be used for all future handsets, regardless of make and model.
This new standard will mean cell phone users worldwide will be able to charge their phones anywhere from any available charger. Plus, it will dramatically cut waste and GHG emissions –and the universal charger will require less energy per charge.
All told, researchers estimate that the new universal charger will result in:
- a 50% reduction in standby energy consumption
- elimination of 51,000 tonnes of redundant chargers,
- and a subsequent reduction of 13.6 million tonnes in GHG emissions each year…
…not to mention the tremendous convenience factor.
“This is a significant step in reducing the environmental impact of mobile charging, which also has the benefit of making mobile phone use more straightforward,” says Malcolm Johnson, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB). “Universal chargers are a commonsense solution that I look forward to seeing in other areas.”
I completely agree. This past summer, ten companies –including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Apple, Motorola and Samsung –made a commitment to a universal cell phone charger for customers in Europe. Why are we still waiting for this “commonsense solution” in the U.S.?
