Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) has presented a strategy for nationwide mobile communications coverage to accelerate the planning, approval and development of 4G and 5G networks. The five-point plan focuses on: measures to close gaps in 4G network coverage; the acceleration of Germany as a 5G ‘market leader’; the strengthening of transparency in infrastructure development and the use of existing resources such as state-owned properties and infrastructures; the simplification of approval procedures; and providing information via an electronic portal.
The presentation of the strategy follows the recent conclusion of the Federal Network Agency’s (FNA’s) wireless spectrum auction, which included extensive coverage obligations for licence winners, and a recently agreed expansion programme between mobile operators and the government.
‘In our country, uninterrupted surfing and telephoning must come naturally – and not in the distant future, but as quickly as possible,’ commented Federal Minister Andreas Scheuer, adding: ‘By closing the gaps in the 4G network, we are laying the foundation for nationwide 5G expansion and thus for the digital transformation of the economy and society. One thing must be clear: where there is no mast, there is no reception. That is why we need more acceptance in infrastructure development. Our strategy creates the basis for both.’
