CU Phosco kicks off 5G Revolution in Cologne with Smart Pole for European Football Championship

CU Phosco is delighted to announce the successful installation of its Connected Urban smart pole in Cologne, Germany. This cutting-edge 5G streetlighting mast was deployed just in time for the start of the European Football Championship, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of urban mobile network infrastructure.

The Connected Urban smart pole, strategically located near Cologne Cathedral and the central train station, is not just a high mast. It’s a symbol of today’s smart city innovation, that serves one of the city’s major fan zones on Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer. This advanced solution provides both high-performance lighting and robust 5G network capabilities, ensuring an enhanced mobile experience for thousands of football fans and city residents.

The successful installation of the CU Phosco Connected Urban smart pole in Cologne was a testament to the power of collaboration.

Telecommunications provider O₂ Telefónica, infrastructure specialist 5G Synergiewerk, NetCologne and energy provider RheinEnergie all played a crucial role in this achievement, demonstrating the strength of teamwork and shared vision.

The Connected Urban smart pole is designed to handle high bandwidth demands, offering seamless 5G and 4G/LTE connectivity for mobile telephony and data usage. This deployment ensures that Cologne’s mobile network is fully prepared to support the influx of visitors during the European Championship. In addition, O₂ Telefónica has implemented specific event parameters to optimise network performance during this high-demand period.

Matthias Sauder, Director of Mobile Access & Transport Networks at O₂Telefónica, expressed his enthusiasm: “With the 5G streetlight mast, we are offering an even better mobile network at Cologne Cathedral. Just in time for the European Football Championship, our customers in Cologne can look forward to additional network capacities. Football events frequently set new data records. Most recently, during the Champions League final, we exceeded the one million gigabytes per hour mark.”

Ralf Gerbershagen, Managing Director of 5G Synergiewerk GmbH, emphasised the collaborative effort behind the project: “We are proud of the new site in Cologne. At 19.3 meters high, we provide the most powerful 5G streetlight mast in Germany. This project is a great example of what can be achieved when all parties work together: We bring telecommunications providers, lighting technology experts and municipal utilities together to advance urban 5G expansion with innovative networking solutions.”

The Connected Urban smart pole is not just a temporary solution for the European Championship. It will remain a permanent fixture in Cologne, providing a high-performance mobile network for residents and visitors during major events, such as the annual Carnival, which attracts around 1.5 million visitors annually. This underscores its long-term value and contribution to the city’s infrastructure.

CU Phosco’s Connected Urban smart pole is a modular and fully customisable solution that integrates high-performance lighting and mobile network technology within a single, compact footprint. Replacing a conventional lamp post, this innovative intelligent pole leverages existing infrastructure to deliver both essential urban lighting and advanced telecommunications capabilities. Available up to 20 metres tall, as standard, it offers a greater range for mobile coverage, ensuring improved network reliability and seamless connection on the nationwide O₂ network via a dedicated fibre-optic link.

This installation in Cologne is part of O₂ Telefónica’s broader initiative to deploy 5G streetlight masts across Germany, following successful installations of Connected Urban in Frankfurt am Main and Würzburg. These medium cells enhance the existing mobile network by providing additional capacity at specific urban points. The 5G streetlight masts, including the one in Cologne, handle around 300 gigabytes of mobile data volume daily, supporting high-bandwidth and low-latency applications essential for digital innovation.

Keith Henry, CU Phosco Australia’s General Manager and Telecommunications Product Manager, commented: “We are proud to play a role in this groundbreaking initiative, helping to find a comprehensive answer to a growing problem in built-up urban cities. Connected Urban offers a tidy solution for municipalities in these situations, ticking many urban infrastructure boxes.”

Photo credit: Copyright 5G Synergiewerk | pido media.