"Search for the missing part of a puzzle with 5000 pieces"
The KPN mobile network covers almost the whole of the Netherlands: it is accessible to 99.4% of the Dutch population and is among the world’s best. Nevertheless, even in the Netherlands there are still places where the coverage is less good. Regional directors Anja de Vos-Biemans and Jeroen van der Jagt explain how that is possible and what KPN is doing to allow everyone to take advantage of the mobile network of the Netherlands.
You would think that having mobile phone coverage in the Netherlands could be taken for granted. But there are a lot of issues involved in being able to use the mobile network to make calls and access the Internet everywhere in the Netherlands. For that purpose, KPN can make use of the nationwide coverage of the mobile network – comprising more than 5000 transmission towers – under permits issued by the Dutch government at a spectrum auction.
“When we travel in the summer to our neighboring countries, we are frequently reminded of how much better the Dutch mobile networks are than those of our eastern and southern neighbors. Nevertheless, even in the Netherlands there are still places where the coverage is less than perfect,” says Anja de Vos-Biemans. In her capacity as regional director she, along with colleague Jeroen van der Jagt, talks every day with executives of municipalities and provinces in the Netherlands about developments in the region.
Data consumption is growing exponentially
The demand for mobile data continues to grow strongly and technology never stops developing, so KPN is constantly investing in enlarging the capacity and coverage of its mobile network. “Currently we are modernizing our network across the whole of the Netherlands in an ongoing operation to upgrade all 5000 transmission towers,” explains Anja de Vos-Biemans, KPN regional director for Southern Netherlands. “This is making the network even better; not only are we improving 4G but 5G is becoming available as well. We can now offer customers the best and fastest mobile network experience in the Netherlands, according to independent tests of all the mobile networks in the Netherlands.”
Even better coverage
In the opinion of De Vos-Biemans “the network of the Netherlands” is not an empty promise. “We are focusing on top performance throughout the Netherlands. Including outside the cities, in the villages, on the move and in the countryside. Nationwide coverage is an important priority for us. In the last few years we have improved the mobile coverage at dozens of locations in rural areas, including by means of new technology and by installing extra transmission towers.”
“In the last few years we have improved the mobile coverage at dozens of locations in rural areas”
Anja de Vos-Biemans, KPN regional director for Southern Netherlands
A 5000-piece jigsaw puzzle
The KPN mobile network is like a 5000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Every piece is a part of the Netherlands. Sometimes the piece is not so good, sometimes it is simply missing; we then go in search of a place where we can complete the puzzle. “That requires a tailor-made solution and may involve a lengthy search,” says Jeroen van der Jagt, KPN regional director for North-East Netherlands. “Improving the mobile coverage needs all parties to work together. If there is a problem with the coverage in a particular area, we sit round the table with the residents and the local authorities. Together we look at the sticking points and try to find a solution. Sometimes it can be simple, by changing an antenna or fine-tuning the technology for example. In other cases, an extra transmission tower might be needed. Then a lot more issues come into play.”
“On the one hand there is huge demand for good mobile coverage, but at the same time there might be opposition to a new transmission tower”
Jeroen van der Jagt, KPN regional director for North-East Netherlands
Once it is clear that the coverage can be improved only by the installation of a new transmission tower, KPN goes in search of a suitable location. That is not as simple as it might seem, because there are only a few places in such an area where an extra transmission tower can provide the best possible outcome. The place we select must fit into the puzzle as a whole and the basic criterion for this is improved coverage for the largest possible area. Van der Jagt: “Once we have chosen a location, we start looking for a landowner who is willing to cooperate in the installation. Then there are municipal licenses to be obtained and we are dependent on public consultations and, occasionally, a court case.”
Good coverage please, but preferably no transmission tower in the locality
Van der Jagt: “There is huge public demand for good mobile coverage and of course you need transmission towers for that. Everyone wants to be reachable and to be able to call 112 in the event of an emergency. At the same time, in some cases we face opposition to the installation of antennas. Being reachable is one thing, having a transmission tower in your back garden is another matter entirely. Some people regard it as visual pollution, others worry about health and radiation. Partly for this reason, searching for a location and obtaining the right licenses is a long, complicated process.” De Vos-Biemans endorses this. “It can even take many years before all the stakeholders are in agreement. And in one case after 12 years we had to simply stop trying.”
“It’s a long-drawn-out process; sometimes it takes literally many years to get everyone on board”
Jeroen van der Jagt, KPN regional director for North-East Netherlands
Yes, it is a long-drawn-out process but, says Van der Jagt, “We are making good progress and in recent years we have achieved the goal of providing improved coverage in a large number of more remote places in the Netherlands: in Bommelerwaard, the Achterhoek and rural areas in the province of Drenthe, for example. But we have taken extra measures and closed coverage gaps in every Dutch province. Currently we are installing two new transmission towers in the municipality of Berkelland (province of Gelderland) so as to improve the coverage in Geesteren and Neede. A long-held wish, both of KPN and of the region. The nearby village of Baak is on the plans as well. This month, we will install new transmission towers in Rinsumageest (province of Friesland) and Olland (province of Noord-Brabant) and we aim to improve the coverage in Hoge Hexel (province of Overijssel) before the summer. Mariënvelde (province of Gelderland) is due to get a new transmission tower in the third quarter. Although these processes take time and energy, the network experience of our customers and the digital coverage in the region will ultimately improve substantially in all these places. And that’s why we are doing it, of course.”
Coverage obligation
Nationwide coverage has always been an important priority for KPN. The Dutch government also underlined the importance of it at the latest spectrum auction (700 MHz). “The mobile operators have the obligation of realizing 98% coverage on the territory of every Dutch municipality. We are presently discussing this with several municipalities. Good cooperation between the municipality, the residents and KPN (as mobile operator) is important as well”, says De Vos-Biemans.
“Good cooperation between the municipality, the residents and KPN (as mobile operator) is important”
Anja de Vos-Biemans, KPN regional director for Southern Netherlands
Many factors
In fact, an extra transmission tower is not always the right solution. For instance, radio signals from transmission towers do not easily penetrate wooded areas, office buildings and newbuild houses, and signals are poor in underground road tunnels. So on this type of project KPN generally cooperates with mobile operators to improve the mobile coverage by using special solutions. For a number of years, KPN has offered its customers Mobile calls via Wi-Fi specifically to alleviate the problem of reduced indoor coverage at home or in the office. Where there is a Wi-Fi network in the vicinity, the mobile device switches automatically to Wi-Fi if that gives a better signal. This means that KPN customers can continue calling and texting without the connection failing or slowing down.