ShareIt achieves major sustainability milestone - reducing 20,000 tonnes of carbon emissions daily

The value of near-field transmission technology

Near-field transmission technology has a faster file sharing speed when compared to other transmission technology, with more than 90% of users reaching a transmission speed of 4 megabits per second, which is 200 times faster than sharing files via Bluetooth. The higher transmission speed also significantly reduces the energy consumption of hardware devices such as mobile phones, because of its contactless and quick-speed nature, which makes it easier for users to exchange digital content, make transactions or connect with other electronic devices.

ShareIt reduces 5.51 grams of CO2 equivalent emissions for every 1 megabyte (MB) of file sharing activity compared with 3G network. By using ShareIt near-field transfer technology for file transfers, users worldwide can reduce carbon emissions by 20,000 ton per day compared with 3G network, which is equivalent to the emission reductions achieved by planting 1,051,000 trees, or taking public transportation 240,308,000 times or biking 41,748,000 kms. Calculated under the guidance of four international standards for product carbon footprinting, it is proven that ShareIt’s usage of near-field transmission leads to a lower carbon footprint.

Chanel Hardman, ShareIt country manager in South Africa explains: “We need to do everything we can, all of us, to course correct climate change. Locally, we are in discussions with agencies driving this KPI.”

“Sustainability is a very important focus for us at PHD and, of course, the clients we work with. We know that media carries a significant carbon footprint and so we have adopted an 'optimise first' mentality by exploring innovative ways in which we can better reduce these emissions. At the end of the day, we want to offer our clients the best possible performance as well as the lowest possible impact on the environment." says Adelé Bezuidenhout, associate digital director at PHD Media.

"The cost of not acting, socially, politically and economically is terrifying to contemplate. This is a chance to encourage shifts in mindsets and set new standards, to reinvent and redefine the very operating systems of business and commerce," she adds.

An evolution for an industrial revolution

Although there is existing transmission technology such as hardware, network and Bluetooth, ShareIt uses near-field transmission technology because it only requires two devices to build a local area network for users to complete their daily file sharing needs. While 3G network transmission technology is ubiquitous and almost seamless today, this method of transmission wouldn’t work without reception devices, which simultaneously require the construction of supporting network base stations, transmission lines, and data centres.

In fact, mobile phone manufacturers, banking institutions and mobile network providers have been attempting to apply this technology to smartphones and other handheld devices because of the opportunity to enable the consumer to use commercial services more easily. ShareIt is driving digital and financial inclusion in the emerging markets by enabling those with limited or no data to have discover and have access to digital content, online banking avenues amongst others.

Global app. Global accountability.

As the global ESG practices continue to gain momentum, sustainability has become an intrinsic motivation for corporations. The app will soon launch a ShareIt 'personal carbon account' feature to cultivate public awareness and encourage more people to participate in low carbon transmission. The company will also continue to enrich our product matrix to eliminate the 'digital content gap' caused by geography, language, class and other factors, and maximise equitable access of digital entertainment content for global users.

Karam Malhotra, partner and global vice-president at ShareIt Group concludes: “Today sustainable business practices are considered a must and companies incorporating ESG initiatives is the new normal. We always knew there was immense value in terms of environmental impact from near filed transmission technology but only got down to determining it now. At ShareIt, we will be putting in sincere efforts to explore more avenues to reduce carbon emissions through collaborative projects and partnerships.”

For more information about the ShareIt app, please visit www.ushareit.com.