O2 puts energy self-sufficient cell phone mast into operation in Hesse

The telecommunications provider Telefónica (O2) has put a cell phone mast into operation that supplies itself with electricity. In a remote area in the Hessian town of Kirtorf in the Vogelsberg district, the installation, which is powered by solar modules and a fuel cell, was erected between woods and meadows, as the company announced in Munich on Friday. Previously a 4G dead zone, the site now has 4G and 5G reception.

The system is good for climate protection and comparatively inexpensive. According to the company, it would have cost "a significant six-figure euro amount" to lay power cables to the site.

The plant is energy self-sufficient: the solar power is stored and used in a battery, and on days with little sunshine, a biomethanol fuel cell takes over the supply. This saves a good 13,000 kilowatt hours per year, which would otherwise have to be supplied via power lines.

O2 Head of Technology Mallik Rao spoke of a prime example of efficient mobile communications coverage in rural areas: "A site without electricity, but with plenty of energy and 5G for our customers."

The concept of such a radio system is not entirely new. Deutsche Telekom launched "mobile communications without a socket" in 2022: Mönsheim in the northern Black Forest has since been home to a radio system that also does not require any outside power. This has performed very well so far, said a company spokesperson. Germany's third largest mobile provider Vodafone, on the other hand, does not yet have an energy self-sufficient mobile communications site in this country.