March 21, 2019

Impressions of the 13th ITG Conference "Broadband Coverage in Germany"

March 21, 2019

"5G, Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Living and Industry 4.0" were the keywords of this year's 13th ITG Conference at the CINIQ Center and 3IT at the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI. The conference was hosted by the ITG Technical Committee KT 2 "Communication Networks and Systems" with its expert group "Access and Home Networks" on the topic of "Broadband Coverage in Germany".

The conference traditionally highlights technical and non-technical aspects of broadband coverage focusing on the situation in Germany as well as on an international comparison. At this year's event from March 19 to 20, parallel to the start of the auction of 5G licenses, the focus was on the new mobile communication standard 5G. Ronald Freund, Head of Department for Photonic Networks and Systems at Fraunhofer HHI, opened the conference. In his welcoming address, he emphasized the increasing need for bandwidth and drew attention to the need for action in the expansion of the infrastructure for wireless networks in Germany. Thomas Miethaner, Head of the Digital Society Department at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, addressed in his opening words the nationwide coverage of "white spots" in Germany with high-performance mobile networks. At the beginning of the conference, Frank Schramm, 5G-Mobilfunk and IoT consultant at the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, presented research-oriented 5G projects in the 5G model region Berlin. In his contribution, he underlined Berlin as the right place for the development of innovative applications.

In different lectures, other participants discussed use-cases, technical and economic benefits, implementation strategies and future perspectives of 5G. Moreover, the topics of further developments and challenges facing broadband access networks were also addressed. In this context, Fraunhofer HHI presented its pioneering key technologies, such as the use of higher carrier frequencies in the terahertz range at 300 GHz and communication with light (Li-Fi). Representatives from politics, business and science discussed in a panel discussion, moderated by Kai Seim, Managing Director of "seim & partner Beratungs- und Planungsgesellschaft", the new possibilities that 5G, in comparison to alternative technologies, offers for closing "white spots".

In addition to the expert conference, an exhibition on the topics of the conference gave practical insights into the current state of development of broadband technologies.

© Fraunhofer HHI
© Fraunhofer HHI
© Fraunhofer HHI
© Fraunhofer HHI
© Fraunhofer HHI
© Fraunhofer HHI
© Fraunhofer HHI
© Fraunhofer HHI