White spots: Dead zones half the size of Schleswig-Holstein

For years, politicians and telecommunications companies have promised to eliminate the so-called white spots: areas where there is no mobile coverage. But reality is different, as an analysis by the Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernization now shows.

In Germany, 23,502 square kilometers are not covered by a 4G or 5G base station, regardless of the provider, according to the analysis published on Tuesday by the BMDS. Over 22,000 of the dead zones (around 95 percent) are smaller than one square kilometer.

However, large dead zones still exist: the ministry counted 47 areas larger than 20 square kilometers, based on data from the Federal Network Agency, the Mobile Communications Infrastructure Company (MIG), and the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG).

Bavaria undisputed leader

According to the BMDS, two-thirds of the dead zones are located in the south and southwest of Germany. However, the majority of the underserved area is in forest regions: in 82.7 percent of the white spots, no mobile mast was planted among the trees.

In absolute terms, Bavaria is by far ahead of all other federal states: 2296.76 square kilometers have no fast mobile reception, followed by Baden-Württemberg (1110.53) in second place, ahead of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, each with around 660 square kilometers not covered. In Bavaria, 7,200 households are therefore without broadband mobile access, while in Baden-Württemberg there are 8,000 households.

The authors of the study the study explain some of the white spots by difficulties that mobile companies face, for example, in developing geographically hard-to-access peripheral areas. These include border regions or nature reserves, where construction is more difficult and requires lengthy approval processes and the establishment of further infrastructure.

Development complicated

Mobile masts are not possible without electricity and access roads. And in border regions, coordination with the regulator in the respective neighboring country is absolutely necessary. However, there are also indications that speak against this: While Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have many problem areas, Saxony and Saarland are little affected – despite large border regions and, in the case of Saxony, existing nature reserves there.

After the legislature has placed the expansion of mobile communications in the "overriding public interest", Federal Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) is now focusing on concrete solutions for individual gaps. "The present study provides a well-founded data basis that helps us to better prioritize supply gaps, close them more precisely, and measurably advance network expansion," Wildberger said in Berlin.

According to the ministry, it is still unclear whether new funding instruments will also be introduced for this purpose. Some of the measures taken in the past for the construction of mobile masts took a particularly long time – unlike what responsible ministers had hoped.

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