Nuremberg – The network is gone. Parts of Bavaria are still a developing country when it comes to mobile communications. Even in Franconia, often nothing comes out of the cell phone.
A radio hole is Kruppach in the Nuremberg region:
► Sigfried T. (65, retired): “We don’t have a cell phone network at all at home, we make calls over the landline. This is done through the Internet. If that fails, we are completely isolated.”
Sebastian Baer (15) from Kruppach shows his mobile phone. He can’t make phone calls at his house in Kruppach.
► Sebastian Baer (15, student): “Here I don’t call friends at all. If I want to meet someone, I arrange it beforehand.”
► Hermann Mertel (56, beverage retailer): “I live on a hill, I have some network from time to time, but hardly ever. I was a field worker, it really bothered me at the time, it totally hampered my work.”
Are you okay. This is now officially established.
Economy Minister Hubert Aiwanger (51) had it measured. Result: out of 2,000 municipalities in Bavaria, 900 have deadlocks.
He estimates: “We still need 500 to 1,000 cell towers for full network coverage.”
After all: a new mast has been built in Kruppach. Should improve the power supply.
The ministry offers the communities a subsidy of 500,000 euros for each new mast. However, Aiwanger clarifies: “At the moment, 300 do not want to have anything to do with it, because citizen initiatives are acting against the new buildings.”
Second problem: “The railways would have to be activated,” the minister claims. “There is an excellent network on many routes, but the railcars block reception.” The railway would have to install amplifiers to overcome this. These cost 30,000 euros each.
Progress is slow: this year subsidized poles will be built in 92 communities. The first will go into operation in Rehau on May 2.
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