In the Uckermark, that is on the Germany map “top right” between Templin, Prenzlau and Schwedt (Oder) in the state of Brandenburg and parts of Mecklenburg Western Pomerania, the residents are annoyed by radio holes.
Rather in the Valley of the Unsuspecting?
The place Schnow belongs to the proverbial “valley of the receptionless”, in the place Pinnow connections are accompanied by funny background noises. “Anyone who leads from Temermin to Templin shouldn’t even use the cell phone in the first place,” recommends the Mrkische Oderzeitung in an article on the problem.
So all citizens should be interested in the fact that the radio clearers are finally being stuffed. But high towers are necessary to achieve more range on the frequencies used. And that’s rather unpopular. “Everyone wants a good supply, but nobody wants to see a mast,” Andr Reichow, cell phone officer in the Uckermark district, is quoted as saying. “Of course it is up to the companies to take care of the expansion, but they face massive problems. An area of tension that will continue to accompany us.”
Afraid of radiation?
It is not just since yesterday that network operators have been looking for suitable areas – and not just in the Uckermark. As soon as a location has been found, the first criticism comes because some residents are afraid of being “irradiated”. But – as we have emphasized earlier – there is more of a “danger” from the transmission power of the cell phones or smartphones, which have to “scream” loudly, because otherwise they would not be able to get to the too far away masts.
Fear of change?
Wind turbines in the Uckermark. The masts “strict” (like the transmitter masts) the appearance of the landscape.
Photo: Picture Alliance / dpa
In addition to the diffuse fear of “radiation”, many citizens fear a “disfigurement” of the partially historically grown townscapes. Historic monuments see it with horror when a “historical ensemble” is defaced. The around 40 meter high masts are also scary for nature conservation. Cellular antennas on or more precisely in church towers or on grain silos are not noticeable. But where the flat land has been left unchanged for years, such a mast immediately catches the eye. It can take a good two years for all of this to be checked and in the end there is a reason for no.
Andr Reichow is disappointed: “There is no legal right to nationwide care”. And with that the circle could “only act as a moderator.”
Prenzlau best supplied with 5G
The Märkische Oderzeitung found that Prenzlau has so far had the best coverage with the 5G standard, followed by the town of Schwedt on the Oder. Then come the other towns and cities, the highway and railway lines running through the area.
If you look at the maps on the Internet, you will find many white spots or should you say “carpets”? Nothing works in the forest. In a comparison of the three currently active providers (Telekom, Vodafone and Telefnica o2) there are drastic differences in the network supply in the Uckermark, the newspaper has determined. All network operators are in constant contact with the district. “A lot is being upgraded,” reports Reichow, mainly in the localities. In between, therefore, it remains thin. The federal government is to fund 5,000 new masts, which are not all likely to be erected in the Uckermark.
And now 5G
As already reported, Telekom has just launched its 5G initiative in Germany and Vodafone has already installed one or the other 5G-capable masts. The district of Uckermark will also be part of 5G. The places were named Angermnde, Lychen, Prenzlau, Schwedt and Templin, which have received the latest mobile phone standard.
The Oderzeitung finds it particularly good that even current LTE smartphones (still without 5G) benefit immediately from the 5G network expansion because the base station reached automatically recognizes whether the cell phone “only” supports LTE or already 5G. If you still use a 2G-only baby (like the Nokia 3210), you will still be able to make mobile calls for a while, in contrast to Switzerland, where the days of 2G are definitely numbered.