The mobile phone companies do not have to worry about the railway product. The railways have to do that themselves, says WELT editor Philipp Vetter
Source: Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance/dpa; Martin UK Lengemann/WORLD
For years, Deutsche Bahn passengers have been annoyed by the bad internet on trains. But the state-owned company always refers to the mobile phone operators who would have to solve the problem. Now there is a joint pilot project. As a reminder, it’s the year 2023.
EIt sounds like a bad joke that Deutsche Bahn sent out in a press release on Tuesday: “5G mobile communications on the track is getting closer,” the state-owned company proudly announces. Getting closer. In 2023.
The iPhone, with which the mobile Internet had its breakthrough, is now 16 years old – so you should already be able to order a beer in the on-board bistro – when Deutsche Bahn also discovered that their customers would like to be reliably online during the journey.
While in as good as all neighboring countries fast internet on the train has been a matter of course for years, Deutsche Bahn has an internet forecast in the on-board portal: Attention, there will be no reception again soon. This is no joke, but the reality of the year 2023.
So mobile communications are now moving closer to the track, what does that mean? Together with O2, Ericsson and the cell tower operator Vantage Towers, they are developing “a concept of how a comprehensive 5G mobile communications infrastructure can be set up along the tracks in Germany,” it says.
However, you do not need a new concept including a pilot project for this, which is also being funded with 6.4 million euros by Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP). To do this, one would simply have to ensure that sufficient radio masts are set up along the routes. It’s not that difficult, you can copy this “concept” in neighboring countries.
The train is on the train
“Rail travelers expect excellent data and mobile phone connections more and more as a matter of course,” says the railway. Now one could benevolently say: The analysis is correct. Now all you have to do is act accordingly. But instead, the responsibility continues to be happily pushed back and forth: At the railways, the cell phone operators are seen as having an obligation.
But it’s the product of Deutsche Bahn, which is simply defective, as long as the passenger still not using the internet reliably.
If the traffic turnaround is to succeed, if more people are to switch to trains, then it has to be attractive. The big advantage of the train journey compared to the car is that you can use the time to work or watch a film.
However, this is still impossible on many routes. In the pilot project, you now want to test different designs of radio masts, even those for which you do not need a concrete foundation. That saves time and CO2, is it[calledButinsteadoflookingfortime-savingsolutionsinlongprojectsyoucouldjuststart
The train is a long way from that: In the coming year, the Riedbahn between Frankfurt and Mannheim is to be completely renovated. Half a year full closure in order to bundle and complete all necessary work on the route during this time.
All works? In any case, the radio mast problem is not one of them, according to the group. Others are responsible for that. It’s still a bad joke.
“Everything on shares” is the daily stock exchange shot from the WELT business editorial team. Every morning from 5 a.m. with the financial journalists from WELT. For stock market experts and beginners. Subscribe to the podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music and Deezer. Or directly by RSS-Feed.