O2 wants to convert street lamps into mobile phone masts

The announcement was once intended as a joke: "And then a mobile phone transmitter will be hung on every streetlight," was the quip skeptical industry insiders once used to make when discussing the future of mobile communications. But this is exactly what is now becoming reality. According to information from the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), mobile operator O2-Telefónica plans to begin a nationwide rollout of 5G streetlights.

However, not every lamppost will be illuminated. The focus is on busy city centers, among others. The first expansion phase is scheduled to cover the 25 largest German cities this year.

O2 is collaborating with the company 5G Synergiewerk. Their specialists will replace conventional streetlights with a combination of light and cell phone masts. These are distinguishable from the good old streetlights with the naked eye. The transmission and reception technology components, visible at high altitudes, look similar to small loudspeakers. They are suitable, among other things, for locations where many people are out and about, but there is a lack of space on rooftops.

“As a telecommunications provider, these innovative street-level radio cells help us to optimally manage the constantly growing data traffic in large cities,” O2 manager Matthias Sauder told RND.

The other two network operators have also been exploring such solutions for some time. Deutsche Telekom launched its first pilot projects in Münster in 2020, and Vodafone installed the first streetlights for mobile high-speed internet access in Cologne's city center in 2022.

Mobile data usage is growing steadily by around 30 percent each year, as there are more and more applications that require high data rates, such as streaming or online gaming. New apps will be added, such as those for navigating cars to free parking spaces. All of these applications create even greater data demand, which is to be satisfied by lamppost technology, which transmits at extremely high frequencies. While this means short ranges, it also allows for transmission speeds that are many times higher than conventional landline internet connections.

O2 now plans to install multifunctional masts in Hanover, for example, at the Maschsee lake, and in Frankfurt am Main at the Kornmarkt and Mainzer Landstraße. A factor here is that in the German capital, high-rise buildings often severely impair cell phone reception on the streets and sidewalks.

In Munich, the lantern replacement will take place at the Theresienwiese, among other places, to improve network quality during Oktoberfest. However, O2's plans extend beyond major cities. Planners are also eyeing tourist hotspots on the North and Baltic Seas, as well as Lake Constance.

The so-called "Smart Pole" is equipped with LED lighting technology. Its hollow interior houses the network technology. A fiber optic cable is still needed for the power connection. "By replacing conventional streetlights with modern 5G streetlights, cities have multifunctional tools that provide their citizens not only with nighttime lighting but also with an improved mobile network," says Ralf Gerbershagen, Managing Director of 5G Synergiewerk.

In stark contrast to efforts in major cities, the comparison portal Verivox recently pointed out that there are still massive deficits in mobile phone reception in rural areas.