Social life is increasingly shifting to the digital world, for which an optimally developed and efficient infrastructure forms the basis.
The increasing spread of internet-enabled end devices and data-intensive services, such as digital education and information services, healthcare and administrative services through to home schooling and working from home, means that the demands on telecommunications networks are also constantly increasing and pushing old technologies to their limits.
© Statista
For this reason, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia is promoting the expansion of mobile communications and broadband. Together with telecommunications service providers, we are coordinating the expansion of fiber optics in Aachen in the Department of Economics, Science and Europe. The city of Aachen also wants to enable WLAN in public spaces.
WLAN in the city of Aachen
Free and fast surfing in the old town between the market and Elisenbrunnen? No problem! Now you can be online at any time in many places in Aachen with AachenWiFi. Try it out!
Compare prices online while shopping in the city center? Posting a selfie right in front of the town hall? You no longer need data volume for this, simply log in to AachenWiFi.
Simply click on "connect" and off you go.
- This is how it works:
- Switch on the Internet-enabled device
- Select #AachenWiFi from the available wireless networks
- Accept terms of use
- Click on "connect" and start surfing
Frequently asked questions: The most important questions and answers on the subject of mobile phone expansion are summarized here for you.
Who can use AachenWiFi and is it free of charge?
AachenWiFi can be used by anyone. Public WiFi internet access is completely free of charge for users.
How do I dial in?
Switch on your Internet-enabled device and activate the Wi-Fi function. Then select AachenWiFi from the list of WLANs displayed, click on "Connect" and accept the terms of use - and start surfing.
Do I have to register to get access to the Internet?
No.
How long can I surf the Internet?
Unlimited in principle, a new login to the network is required after every 24 hours.
Are there limits on the amount of data or the speed of surfing?
All users can surf at a maximum download speed. However, these speeds depend on various factors, such as the distance from an AachenWiFi hotspot and the number of users connected to the hotspot at the same time.
How secure is the transmission of my data via public WLAN Internet access?
The public WLAN Internet access is an unencrypted, open WLAN. This is the only way to ensure easy use for everyone. Therefore, please ensure that sensitive personal data, such as logins, emails or bank details, are transmitted using encrypted communication. In the web browser, sensitive data should only be transmitted via an SSL-encrypted and secure website. You can recognize an SSL website by the lock symbol next to the address field and the "https://" text at the beginning of the URL address.
In case of uncertainty, we recommend avoiding the transmission of sensitive data. The provider accepts no liability for damage (see terms of use).
Security tips for private and public WLAN from the Federal Office for Information Security
Animated explanatory video: Use of a public WLAN from the Federal Office for Information Security
WLAN - Contact/ Partner
Would you like to offer a hotspot yourself? You are welcome to coordinate a cooperation with NetAachen.
Mobile communications in the city of Aachen
Mobile communications and smartphones have become an integral part of everyday communication. Mobile phone coverage is therefore increasingly becoming a decisive location factor for citizens and companies when choosing where to live and produce. Nationwide mobile phone reception is not only a basic prerequisite for economic development and quality of life, but also ensures social participation.
Mobile radio coordination
As municipal administrations cannot carry out their own mobile communications expansion, the position of mobile communications coordinator was set up at the City of Aachen as part of the North Rhine-Westphalia state funding program in order to promote expansion in accordance with the NRW mobile communications pact. The mobile communications coordination acts as an interface between business, the public, politics and administration. It mediates between the various stakeholders, for example in the search for sites or in internal approval processes. It is also in close contact with the network operators and works towards improving the mobile network in Aachen.
What is the status of mobile phone expansion in the city of Aachen?
Most of the dead spots in Aachen have already been closed. Nevertheless, in a few places there are still so-called "white spots" or underserved areas for which no fast broadband connection or sufficient mobile coverage is yet available. Due in particular to Aachen's geographical location on the borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, expansion by network operators has so far proved difficult.
The current mobile network coverage situation in the city of Aachen can be viewed onthe mobile network monitoring page of the Federal Network Agency. This map shows the mobile phone reception by network operator and mobile phone technology. For two of the white spots visible on the map, applications have currently been submitted for the installation of new mobile radio stations to provide these areas with mobile radio coverage. In addition, the broadband measurement map also shows the measured mobile broadband.
The Federal Network Agency shows the following percentages of covered area for the district-free city of Aachen in the NRW Mobile Communications Dashboard:
The most important questions and answers on the subject of mobile phone expansion are summarized here for you.
What does "5G" mean?
"5G" stands for the fifth generation of mobile communications and is the successor to the fourth generation (4G). With 5G, the mobile network will not only be faster, but real-time transmission will also be possible. You can read more about 5G on the Germany talks about 5G page of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.
Radiation protection in mobile communications
The next generation of mobile communications, 5G, has been rolled out since 2020. Self-driving cars, voice-controlled assistants and smart fridges are just a few examples of how the higher data transmission rates of the new mobile technology could be used. However, there are also concerns. These include, in particular, the question of whether the expansion of 5G also entails a health risk. According to current scientific knowledge, the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) does not expect any negative effects on health, but still sees unanswered questions. Further information on this can be found on the website of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection.
Radio blackout app of the Federal Network Agency
Aachen residents can also help to identify dead spots. If you notice that the mobile network coverage in your area is not sufficient, you are welcome to report this in the official dead spot app of the Federal Network Agency. You can use it to record the current network availability of your mobile network and identify any dead spots. When recording network availability, a series of measurements is used to determine whether a mobile network is available and in which technology.
The individually recorded network availability (no network, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G) is stored on the end device and displayed on a map. The data is also transmitted to the broadband measurement system and is used in aggregated form for an overall presentation.
Detailed information on network availability/radio hole detection can be found on the website of the Federal Network Agency.
Where are mobile phone base stations located in the city of Aachen?
The Federal Network Agency's EMF map shows where mobile phone base stations are located.
Cell phones and sustainability
Hardly anyone knows exactly how many valuable raw materials are contained in a rather compact smartphone. To visualize the proportion of valuable raw materials, it was calculated how many smartphones would be needed, for example, to make a ring from the available metals. You can find more information on this and on drop-off points for cell phones that are no longer needed here: Sustainability for cell phones.
Further information
The Mobile Telecommunications Information Center regularly provides clear explanatory texts and videos on the subject of mobile communications.
In the event of network problems and individual inquiries, please contact your mobile phone provider directly or use the official "Funklochapp" of the Federal Network Agency.
Broadband expansion
The aim of the City of Aachen is to build nationwide, high-performance terrestrial (earthbound) broadband networks that simultaneously create the conditions for new mobile communications standards such as 5G.
The current coverage situation in the area of the City of Aachen is good across all bandwidths in a state and national comparison.
Supply City of Aachen
Comparison by bandwidth of the city of Aachen with the state and national average in percent, as of January 2023.
Private sector broadband expansion
To promote the expansion of broadband in the private sector, the City of Aachen's Gigabit Coordination is in close contact with telecommunications companies and offers them easy access to the administration. Regular strategy meetings have made it possible to optimize processes, eliminate difficulties at an early stage and thus ensure that building applications are approved quickly. A pilot project launched in 2021 for Telekom's private-sector fiber optic expansion in the Frankenberger Viertel was overwhelmingly well received by all stakeholders involved, meaning that this strategy will also be continued with other interested telecommunications companies such as NetAachen.
In addition to the fiber optic networks, the HFC networks ("cable connection") of Vodafone (formerly Unitymedia) are also of particular importance for the Aachen city area. On the one hand, these networks are also gigabit-capable with the DOCSIS 3.1 standard and promise further increases in possible bandwidth in the future. On the other hand, over 70% of Aachen's addresses already have gigabit-capable coverage via these HFC networks.
This means that by the end of 2023, around 85% of Aachen's addresses will have gigabit-capable coverage and around 28% will have a fiber optic connection. In order to provide all Aachen addresses with gigabit-capable access, further initiatives will be taken to promote private-sector expansion and, where this does not take place, the City of Aachen will make use of federal and state funding.
Subsidized broadband expansion
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to economically bring modern telecommunications infrastructure to remote parts of the urban area. However, this is essential for people's digital participation and also for economic development. This is why the city of Aachen is participating in the broadband funding projects of the federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Together with NetAachen, the so-called white spots have been supplied with modern fiber optic technology since the beginning of 2020. In simple terms, all addresses where less than 30 Mbit/s are available are considered white spots. These could be expanded with funding if no company wants to supply them within three years (for Aachen by the end of 2023). This was queried in 2019 as part of a so-called market exploration procedure (MEV). According to this, the Aachen city area only had approx. 1% white spots, which will be supplied with fiber optic connections at the turn of the year 2023/24 through the "white spots" funding project.
In order to close the gap between the privately developed, predominantly urban areas with fiber optic access and the subsidized white spots in the more rural outskirts of the city, the city of Aachen is considering applying for Gigabit funding 2.0 (grey spots).
In the Federal Gigabit Office's glossary, you will find a diverse selection of relevant abbreviations and keywords in the field of digital infrastructure.
What does "fiber optic" mean?
An optical fiber is a long, wafer-thin fiber made of quartz glass. Unlike copper cables, it does not transmit information via electrical signals, but in the form of light. This means that data can be transmitted over long distances in the form of light signals at the speed of light - without any loss of quality.
What does "white spot" mean?
According to federal funding guidelines, "white spots" are addresses that are only connected via an Internet connection of less than 30 Mbit/s in the download and are therefore particularly poorly supplied. In addition, socio-economic locations such as business parks, hospitals and schools without a fiber optic connection are eligible for federal funding for "white spots". Project applications are no longer possible, as the funding has been replaced by the Gigabit Directive 2.0, also known as "gray spots" funding.
What does "gray spot" mean?
According to the federal funding guideline, "gray spots" are addresses that only have an Internet connection of less than 100 Mbit/s in download (light gray spots) or are connected with less than 500 Mbit/s in download and/or less than 200 Mbit/s in upload and download (dark gray spots) and no further expansion by a network operator is planned in the next three years. Further details on the Gigabit Funding 2.0 funding guideline can be found at the Federal Project Management Agency.
What does "private-sector or owner-operated fiber optic expansion" mean?
Private-sector or self-economic expansion refers to the investment measures of one or more telecommunications companies that are based on their own business decisions and without the influence or partial financing of the public sector (e.g. subsidy procedures).