Construction start for masts: improving mobile communications in the district

Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg (EWF) began erecting the first of two new mobile phone masts in Waldeck-Frankenberg in September - in the south of the village of Haina-Hüttenrode. This will be followed by the construction of the second mast near Hatzfeld-Lindenhof. These measures, subsidised by the state of Hesse, are intended to further improve mobile phone coverage in the district.

Improving the digital infrastructure
The project, which receives 90 percent funding from the Hessian Ministry for Digital Affairs and Innovation, enables unrestricted mobile phone reception within a radius of around ten to fifteen kilometres. This will open up two areas in which mobile phone calls and surfing on the LTE network were previously not possible and create opportunities for connecting to the 5G network. "With the new mobile phone masts in Haina and Hatzfeld, we are taking an important step towards improving the digital infrastructure in our district," emphasises District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst. "These investments are crucial for the future viability of our region as the largest district in Hesse and will give many citizens seamless access to modern communication technology."

Ensuring nationwide data coverage
This is also the aim of the support provided by the state of Hesse. "The Hessian mobile communications support programme is intended to provide targeted support to rural communities. This is the only way we can get closer to our goal of ensuring nationwide data coverage wherever people are on the move in the state," explains Prof. Dr Kristina Sinemus, Hessian Minister for Digitalisation and Innovation. "We are therefore delighted that the start of construction of the first subsidised mobile phone mast in Hesse is an important step towards improving mobile phone coverage."

EWF is responsible for the planning and construction of the two pylons on site. After completion, the local energy supplier will also be responsible for operation and maintenance. "Without this level of funding, it will not be possible to provide nationwide mobile phone coverage economically. Nevertheless, the locations must be developed so that the network is available everywhere. This applies not only to local residents, but to all those who want to use mobile communications around the clock," emphasises Frank Benz.

Construction work is underway at
Once the 2.60 metre diameter and 2.90 metre deep quiver foundations have hardened, the company Fuchs Europoles can erect the pylons. These each consist of three components, which were manufactured using the spun concrete method. Each pylon has a height of 40 metres. During the construction work, EWF is laying the power cables and also empty conduits for the fibre optic connection.

Construction work begins in Haina, Hatzfeld starts in October
The construction work will take around three months per pylon. Construction work in Haina began in September. In Hatzfeld, EWF is planning to start construction in October. Completion is planned by December. After that, the mobile phone operators can install the antennas and other equipment for operation and then transmit from there.

Covering white spots
When selecting the site for the masts, areas were specifically chosen where there were white spots in terms of broadband mobile phone coverage. The site south of Haina-Hüttenrode is located at an altitude of around 480 metres above sea level. The villages of Armsfeld in the east and Battenhausen in the south are in the immediate vicinity. The mast near Hatzfeld-Lindenhof and Hof Rhoda will stand at an altitude of more than 440 metres. The planning also took into account whether the sites could be optimally developed for operation. The land in Haina and Hatzfeld is owned by the local authorities.

To ensure that the construction work runs smoothly, a temporary access route must be set up for the construction machinery and the surfaces will be fully restored once the work is complete. A landscape conservation plan was also drawn up before construction work began and the corresponding fire protection reports were also required.

Funding from the state of Hesse
The state of Hesse is supporting the construction of the pylons with a corresponding grant: when applying for funding in 2023, the costs for the realisation of both sites were initially estimated at 736,500 euros, which were to be funded with a grant of around 662,850 euros. After detailed planning of the sites and tendering of the necessary construction work, the costs for both projects increased to around 1.255 million euros, partly due to the difficult topography. The district of Waldeck-Frankenberg submitted the necessary change applications to the state of Hesse and received a funding commitment of around 1.129 million euros from the Hessian Ministry of Digitalisation. The grants will be forwarded to EWF, which will also bear its own share of 10 per cent of the total investment volume and will operate the masts after completion.

Caption: Construction recently began on one of two mobile phone masts in Waldeck-Frankenberg that will improve mobile phone coverage: Also present were the mayor of Haina Alexander Köhler, Sylke Kauffeld (head of the Haina building authority), Eckhard Ruhwedel (EWF), Markus Schorer (FUCHS Europoles), Tobias Klinge (EWF), Frank Benz (EWF), Andreas Gehrhardt (for the Hessian Ministry for Digitalisation and Innovation), Wolfgang Baraniak (district), District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst and the mayor of Hatzfeld Dirk Junker. (Photo: Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg)

Keywords:

Broadband expansion in Waldeck-Frankenberg Information Technology and Digital Administration Department