Vodafone calls for state help with German broadband
May 5, 2019
Complaining about the costs, the head of telecoms giant Vodafone in Germany has called on the government to invest in "last mile" broadband connections. Germany has been slow to speed up its internet networks.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
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The mobile operator wants to increase the number of homes with ultrafast connections in Germany by two million over the next year; up to around 11 million.
Vodafone recently agreed to pay €19.6 billion ($22 billion) for Liberty's cable networks in Germany, which include Unitymedia, and those in eastern Europe. If the deal goes ahead Vodafone will probably have 22 million ultrafast connections in Germany within three years.
However, in an interview withWelt am Sonntag newspaper, Vodafone's German chief, Hannes Ametsreiter, said that connecting from the network to individual homes, the so-called last mile, was "extraordinarily challenging."
"It is enormously expensive to rip the road on your own," Ametsreiter said, suggesting that Germany looks at how broadband is rolled out in Spain and Portugal, where the state invests in the infrastructure, laying empty pipes, just as it builds highways.
"Each provider could then pull its cables through these pipes. That's more efficient. And that would fuel competition," Ametsreiter added.
He has not yet received a response from Berlin to his idea.
The world's largest gathering of the mobile industry is currently underway in Barcelona. This year, foldable screens and 5G capable devices have stolen the show. Here are some of the highlights.
Image: DW/K. Ferguson
Foldables all the rage
This year, foldable screens were all the rage at the Mobile World Congress. Huawei grabbed the headlines with the release of its Mate X. But it was actually Chinese firm Royole that won the race to release a foldable device back in October.
Image: DW/K. Ferguson
Huawei's Mate X
Huawei's Mate X features a foldable screen and 5G capability. Released just a week after Samsung's bendy Galaxy Fold, the Chinese company is giving its South Korean competitor a run for its money — literally. The Mate X costs €2,299 ($2,600).
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Tech interaction
Huawei's foldable phone generated the most buzz, but the company also released some new notebooks in Barcelona. The Matebook X Pro's "OneHop" function lets you record what's on the screen by shaking your Huawei phone in front of it.
Image: DW/K. Ferguson
Next generation mobility
Car companies were well represented at MWC. Many of them, including Germany's BMW, are hoping that the ultrahigh speeds and low latency offered by 5G will enable them to innovate in the areas of autonomous driving.
Image: DW/K. Ferguson
MWC popularity gaining
MWC is a huge event. More than 2,000 companies exhibit and over 100,000 people attend. The overarching themes this year are 5G, artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0. But digital wellness and trust have also been debated.
Image: DW/K. Ferguson
Gadget pleasure
London-based startup Mystery Vibe's mission is to use technology to "complete" the experience of pleasure. At MWC, the company showcased the Tenuto, a wearable vibrator for men.
Image: DW/K. Ferguson
The robots are coming
The XR -1 service robot designed by CloudMinds can run on both 4G and 5G networks. It interacts with humans using sensors and visual perception modules. Its maker says it can serve as a concierge, receptionist and in the elderly care sector.
Image: DW/K. Ferguson
Improved artificial intelligence
The XR-1 robot features precise grasping ability, enabling it to hold items as thin as a needle. CloudMinds says the humanoid service robot is also able to develop emotional intelligence. The price of all that capability: $99,000.
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Cost cutting in Italy and Spain
Elsewhere, Vodafone said in January that it planned to cut up to 1,200 jobs in Spain amid a drop in revenue and profits in a fiercely competitive telecommunications market.
The company launched a €1.2 billion cost-cutting plan in November as it faced heavy losses.
Vodafone is the ninth-largest telephone operating company listed by total revenues, with $64.5 billion (€57.5 billion). Deutsche Telekom is in fifth place on the same list with revenues of $76.8 billion.
