Study: Energy infrastructure can improve mobile communications coverage

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The expansion of the mobile network in Germany could be significantly accelerated, made more cost-effective and more environmentally friendly by using the existing infrastructure of energy supply companies. This is the result of a recently published study by the consulting firm WIK-Consult on behalf of the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW).

The study shows that over 40 percent of the white and gray areas - i.e. areas with no or inadequate mobile coverage - and almost 50 percent of households in the surveyed coverage areas could be covered by installing radio antennas on electricity pylons, wind turbines or energy suppliers' properties.

Shared use saves costs

According to the analysis, the shared use of existing infrastructure offers a number of advantages: Instead of searching for new sites, going through complex approval procedures and building new masts, mobile network operators could draw directly on a pool of usable sites. This would save costs of almost 400 million euros if 50 percent of the energy suppliers' existing infrastructure alone were used.

Another advantage is ecological sustainability: avoiding new interventions in nature protects ecosystems. According to the researchers, this is also particularly relevant in times of "overriding public interest" in the expansion of telecommunications networks, as dead spots and "underserved areas are disproportionately often located in areas that are particularly worthy of protection".

The three major mobile network operators are also subject to strict coverage requirements: in view of the extension of their frequency usage rights, they must ensure an area coverage of 99.5% with at least 50 Mbit/s download speeds from 2030. This could be achieved much faster through shared use.

White and gray areas

The experts took a differentiated view of the potential. According to their sample, 833 sites of two large energy suppliers examined as examples are located in the immediate vicinity of white spots – i.e. completely unserved areas – and could cover around 400 square kilometers. 113 of these locations are particularly attractive, as they could each illuminate more than one square kilometer of unserved area, i.e. a total of around 256.5 square kilometers.

There is a significantly greater deficit in gray areas, which are covered by a maximum of two network operators. In terms of 4G or 5G, this is 14% of the area of Germany, with white spots it is around 16%. In contrast to areas with dead spots, mobile network operators could also use existing passive infrastructure from competitors or radio tower companies when expanding gray spots.

However, particularly in the case of rooftop sites in urban areas, the building statics and available space often only allow the installation of antenna technology from one operator. In addition, radiation limits would have to be adhered to.

All in all, according to the researchers, 1008 particularly attractive locations of the energy suppliers could cover around 4596 square kilometers of unserved and underserved areas, which corresponds to a share of 43.1 percent in the two regions included. The additional coverage of unserved and underserved households would be 110,558 (48.7 percent), roads 42.6 percent, railroad lines 50.5 percent and industrial and commercial areas 59.8 percent.

Muddling with radio tower builders

The authors also point to challenges: The market for mobile communications infrastructure in Germany is highly restricted. For example, there are only three radio tower companies, two of which are closely linked to mobile network operators (Telekom/Deutsche Funkturm and Vodafone/Vantage Towers). This could reduce interest in the use of third-party infrastructures.

Ultimately, the mobile network operators "must have a vital interest in using existing infrastructures for economic, ecological and regulatory reasons", according to the study. If they did not even examine "the extent to which existing passive infrastructures can contribute to the fulfillment of coverage requirements, this would be solely due to the economic interest of the leading radio tower companies on the market". The Federal Network Agency would then have to examine whether the exemplary infrastructures and properties considered could have been used.

The authors recommend an active exchange between energy suppliers and mobile network operators in the form of a round table. An independent, coordinating body such as the controversial Mobilfunkinfrastrukturgesellschaft (MIG) could act as a mediator. The passive infrastructures of the electricity suppliers could be compared with the search circles of the mobile network operators via such a body. The data sovereignty of both parties would be guaranteed.

(akn)