Frederic Dildei from the manufacturing company shows the detective box. The measuring device accompanies garbage driver Manuel Fiedler on his tours for a year Photo: Carsten Koall/dpa
By Isabel Pancake
Garbage trucks on the hunt for dead spots! No joke. In the district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin, refuse collection vehicles have been equipped to show that there is (still) no mobile phone reception here.
In one of the largest and at the same time sparsely populated districts in Brandenburg, there is still a lot of catching up to do in terms of mobile network coverage.
Therefore, so-called “real network boxes” should detect the cell phone holes in five garbage trucks. They plug into the cigarette lighter and collect data for a year while driving.
The little boxes help solve a big problem. District Administrator Ralf Reinhardt (46, SPD): “Especially in the regions away from the cities and main traffic axes, but also in forest areas, there is often little or no network.” That costs the economic development of Ostprignitz-Ruppin only a low 5-digit amount.
But why garbage truck? The answer: Because the vehicles of the Waste Management Union (AWU) have to go to every corner of the district anyway. They deliver measurement results automatically from anywhere.
Frederic Dildei (55) from STF-itech GmbH, the manufacturer of the boxes: “We use the measuring devices under real conditions. Unlike the network operators, who usually measure in good weather and with a large antenna – that falsifies the results.”
After one year, the data will be transmitted to the district. He can then suggest locations for new radio masts to the network operators.