The government wants to make not-spots a thing of the past.
Background: The German government has pressed ahead with new measures to improve mobile coverage throughout the country. The spectrum licences awarded for 5G in June 2019 come with extensive coverage obligations for the operators that won them. Last week, the government also struck an agreement with mobile operators for an “expansion campaign” in rural areas, whereby operators legally commit to cover 99% of each federal state with 4G by the end of 2021.
The new strategy: Today, the Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure unveiled a strategy for nationwide mobile communications, stating that “uninterrupted surfing and telephoning must come naturally – and not in the distant future, but as quickly as possible.” Closing the gaps in the 4G network is seen as a necessary for Germany to become a leader in 5G over the coming years. To this end, the Ministry’s strategy is made up of five pillars: closing the 4G gaps; developing 5G leadership; improving use of suitable location and acceptance of mobile networks; simplifying approval procedures; and providing information through an electronic portal.
Two years to take action: Several actions included under each pillar have immediate deadlines (Summer or Autumn 2019), with others planned during 2020 and, finally, the consolidation of planning tools during 2021.
