Deutsche Telekom said it is installing small mobile systems in advertising pillars in Berlin to improve network coverage. The so-called small cells expand the range of coverage and raise data speeds. Telekom uses the antennas to supply the entire area around the advertising pillar with mobile communications in a circular manner, providing LTE with bandwidths of up to 150 Mbps.
The small cells are compact, standardised mobile systems that Telekom uses primarily in cities or in locations with a high density of people such as train stations and airports. Telekom is cooperating with the outdoor advertising firm Ilg-Aussenwerbung for the pilot project in Berlin. The German capital is setting up new advertising pillars while in other cities, pillars are being dismantled. Telekom plans to install 200 small cells in Berlin by the end of 2021. It might expand the network of small cells across Germany in the future, also by using 5G.
