Controlling hibernation of network devices to manage energy consumption

A method comprising:

• instructing, by processing circuitry of a controller via a first intermediate network device of a radio access network (RAN), the first intermediate network device operating in an active mode, a first radio unit (RU) of the RAN to discover whether a second RU of the RAN, the second RU operating in a hibernation mode, is transitioning to the active mode, wherein the processing circuitry is in communication with a memory of the controller;
• receiving, by the processing circuitry via the first RU and the first intermediate network device, information indicating that the second RU is transitioning to the active mode, wherein a first active route connects the first RU to a core network via the first intermediate network device;
• and
• causing, by the processing circuitry based on receiving the information indicating that the second RU is transitioning to the active mode, a second intermediate network device operating in the hibernation mode to transition from the hibernation mode to the active mode so that a second active route connects the second RU to the core network via the second intermediate network device.

Non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to:

• instruct, via a first intermediate network device of a radio access network (RAN), the first intermediate network device operating in an active mode, a first radio unit (RU) of the RAN to discover whether a second RU of the RAN, the second RU operating in a hibernation mode, is transitioning to the active mode;
• receive, via the first RU and the first intermediate network device, information indicating that the second RU is transitioning to the active mode, wherein a first active route connects the first RU to a core network via the first intermediate network device;
• and
• cause, based on receiving the information indicating that the second RU is transitioning to the active mode, a second intermediate network device operating in the hibernation mode to transition from the hibernation mode to the active mode so that a second active route connects the second RU to the core network via the second intermediate network device.