It was actually just a brisk saying in an Interview to the planned auction of the 5G mobile and wireless communications frequencies: “5G is not at every milk jug,” said Minister of research, Anja Karliczek (CDU) in November last year.

she was at the same time for a nationwide Expansion of 4. Mobile phone generation, LTE. It’s a storm of indignation followed. Two voices of many: SPD Secretary-General Lars Klingbeil criticized, Karliczek wool depend on the “entire regions of technological developments such as 5G”. The Greens said: “If it’s somewhere in need of quick network, but please be on the Land. There’s affordable housing, space for businesses, fit people – but it is often no quick Internet.”

in the Meantime, things have calmed down a little. However, with the auction of the frequencies for the 5. The mobile generation is also coming back to the question at the heart of, what they can contribute to 5G for the elimination of “white spots” on the mobile map. Including agriculture, in a number of high-tech farmers are waiting for a cellular network with minimal signal propagation time, for example, to combine with the Internet connection completely Autonomous – and, if necessary, secure remote controlled ride – on in the fields.

Technically, it is not a trivial task to bring the fast 5G wireless in every corner of Germany. This is first of all to the fact that the high demands on the new network, the mobile radio base stations must be connected via glass fiber cables. In exceptional cases, a base station may be associated with microwave radio in the network. This wireless connection but can not offer the speeds of fiber. As a rule, no 5G is therefore: Without glass fiber.

to make matters worse, the auction offered 5G frequencies are for nationwide coverage in question. “Now spectrum is auctioned at 3.6 GHz. However, this is due to unfavourable propagation conditions for the surface supply totally unsuitable”, said Achim Berg, President of the industry Association Bitkom. Instead of the existing 60,000 to 70,000 radio masts in the 3.6 masts tape around 800,000 radio need, in order to provide 98 per cent of households with 5G, expected mountain. “Germany ought to be peppered at a distance of one Kilometer with radio masts and a checkerboard pattern dug up or milled. However, the first citizens ‘ initiatives already.”

In the calculation of the Bitkom President, however, was not taken into account that 5G also works with lower frequencies, which bought the Provider is already three years ago. The 700 MHz Band was formerly used for the first Version of the digital antennas-television DVB-T and was cleared after 2015 step-by-step for the cellular blank. The devil is in the Detail: The three main providers – Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica (O2)- in the 700-MHz Band only narrow Slots of two times ten Megahertz. Due to this low bandwidth is therefore the achievable data rate for 5G within narrow limits.

There are other frequency ranges with the high reach for 5G will not be available in the foreseeable future, have to hope the mobile customers in the country to the fact that at least the supply of the fourth-generation LTE improved. There will be frequencies used that are better suited for an area-wide supply (800 MHz and 900 MHz) as the new frequencies of the 5G auction. Will have a positive impact that technology companies such as Qualcomm and Samsung are also working with the existing Standard LTE to make it faster.

But must also be prepared for the improvement of LTE coverage in many new base stations. And for that you also need the fiber-optic lines in the area. So the whole effort is high, there is growing pressure on the Provider, with your competitors to work together. The scenario is that a mobile phone company builds the base station including a radio mast complete, to the network, connects, operates, and then the customers of the competition on a regional Roaming mitfunken, stumbles, however, in the case of Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica. Do you prefer a collaboration infrastructure: A Provider provides the fiber – optic and power connector and on the radio mast. The competitors can then rent for your technology, a place, and about their customers without Roaming directly.

Vodafone Germany CEO Hannes Ametsreiter suggested on this basis, it is already an “Alliance against funk holes” of Vodafone, Telekom and Telefónica. “We are three network operators, we want to really invest in Germany’s infrastructure, to inform us of the stains. Everyone then builds a third of them,” he said in an Interview with the “Welt am Sonntag”. A rapid Development of 5G networks in the area Ametsreiter does not expect. “It takes eight to twelve years to reach a new a good cover.”

So much is on the Plan, the Minister of research, Karliczek in to your victim Interview last November, 4G announced: Expansion of coverage and then at some point 5G on it. The quote with the milk jug will not want to repeat the CDU politician. “I think I have chosen a wrong image,” she said in a television Interview. “I wanted to make in the discussion, a small contribution that people can assess how it’s going.”

dpa