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German mobile network operator details temporary mobile network infrastructure for annual beer festival
Germany’s annual beer festival Oktoberfest got underway in Munich this weekend and with tens of thousands arriving at the festival ground on day one, according to local media reports, demand on mobile networks was doubtless intense.
Last week, O2 Germany announced that, as usual, it has installed a significant amount of temporary network equipment to serve the multiple beer tents at the festival site, known as the Wiesn, and the 6 million-plus visitors expected to join in the quaffing over the 16-day event.
"The O2 network at the Oktoberfest has reached a size that could easily supply a central German city," O2 said, in a statement last week. The main difference is that the 98 mobile radio systems it has installed at the Wiesn supply a much smaller area than a city, it explained.
Planning for 400,000 visitors a day, O2 said its engineers began building the network in August, installing steel structures, antennas, several dozen technical cabinets and many kilometres of cable.
Its 98 mobile systems are spread across 18 locations on the 42-hectare site, including 11 radio masts and seven transmitters serving the festivals seven large marquees.
"Almost all visitors between the ages of 18 and 80 are now expected to send their greetings exclusively via mobile phone networks," O2 said.
Well, if you’d taken time off work to enjoy a frosty stein you would want the world to know about it, wouldn’t you? Cheers!
