Federal government assures: Digital radio for emergency services is reliable

The German government has reaffirmed the reliability of digital radio for authorities and organizations with security tasks (BOS). The Ministry of the Interior, which has been responsible for the project since 2007 and has since been jointly operated by the federal and state governments. It writes in a recently published answer to a question from the AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag. Over one million emergency services, such as rescue services, fire departments, and the police, rely on the service. This largely works reliably. Most buildings and infrastructures are already covered by the general coverage of the open field with digital radio.

The AfD alludes to the apparently inadequate availability of blue light radio, particularly in German tunnels. It refers to a nationwide network outage on May 6 due to a technical problem as evidence of the vulnerability of this critical infrastructure. The questioners emphasize that seamless communication in tunnels, where the risk for emergency services and those affected is particularly high, is essential. They also cite the repeated criticism by the Federal Audit Office that the network has deficiencies in terms of radio coverage in disaster situations and that the federal and state governments urgently need to remedy the situation.

The government does concede that an additional, stationary radio system for digital radio may be necessary in places without sufficient free-field coverage, such as in some tunnels. However, the planning, installation, and operation of such transmitters are the responsibility of the respective construction managers. They could also be obliged to equip their buildings or infrastructures with appropriate technology as part of an approval procedure or due to other public law regulations.

Exact supply situation? Unknown

When asked about the availability of digital radio in tunnels on federal freeways and federal highways as of 1 July, the Ministry of the Interior replied that all such passages are to be equipped with radio technology. In accordance with the guidelines for engineering structures. This rule has been applied since 2016, whereby the need for a tunnel radio system is determined by object-related measurements. However, the executive cannot guarantee complete, comprehensive availability in all tunnels.

According to the government, it does not have precise knowledge of the coverage situation in underpasses or traffic routes through mountains. It has not received any reports of gaps in coverage from tunnel operators. The respective road authorities or tunnel operators are ultimately legally and operationally responsible for ensuring trouble-free digital radio coverage. The legal basis for this can be found, for example, in state building regulations or in regulations for fire and disaster protection.

When new tunnels are built or renovated, the building authority responsible for the work must generally involve the relevant fire department, the report continues. They then determine whether and which radio technology is to be installed. Concrete individual measures to ensure complete coverage are the result of regular consultations with the federal states, the federal police and Deutsche Bahn.

(mack)