Swisscom is sticking to its goal of covering 90% of Switzerland with 5G mobile network by the end of the year despite slower-than-expected rollout. Further delays due to community pushback could threaten Switzerland’s mobile leadership position, the company warns.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jdp
Switzerland’s largest telecom provider took the opportunity of its half-yearly results release on Thursday to offer a word of caution about more setbacks in the rollout of 5G network.
“If further delays occur, we run the risk of no longer being able to cope with the enormous growth in data,” Swisscom CEO Urs Schaeppi said in a press releaseExternal link.
He added that this could cause Switzerland to lose its leading position in the mobile communications business as higher data volumes deteriorate the mobile phone networks.
Swisscom along with the two other main providers Salt and Sunrise has faced strong community resistance to plans for 5G network expansion. One survey found that 54% of Swiss citizens believe 5G could be damaging to their health.
Antenna construction projects have run into petitions and political interference, resulting in some changes to licensing procedures. In May, a protest organized by the grassroots Stop5G movement attracted around 1,000 people in Bern.
The telecom providers have dismissed the health and safety fears, stating that the impact is the same as that of 3G and 4G.
Swisscom announced it would start launching 5G networks in mid-April. The majority state-owned company started developing 5G networks in 110 communities but halfway through the year, only 58 towns were operational.
In addition to Switzerland, the company aims to reach 90% 5G coverage in Italy by 2026. The company invested CHF196 million for the mobile radio frequencies for the 5G network in Switzerland in the first half of the year.
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Swiss martyr beatified in Barcelona by Catholic Church
This content was published on
François-Benjamin May (1870-1909), a member of the Marist Brothers congregation, has been recognised as a 'blessed' by the Catholic Church.
Prevention and tech could help save billions on Swiss healthcare costs, says Deloitte
This content was published on
By focusing on prevention and technology, it would be possible to reduce Switzerland's healthcare bill by CHF30 billion a year by 2040, according to Deloitte Switzerland.
Environment director warns of increasing climate-related risks in Switzerland
This content was published on
The director of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has warned of increasing climate-related risks in Switzerland in an interview with SonntagsBlick on Sunday.
Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season
This content was published on
The start of the summer holidays saw a long traffic jam in front of the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday. Traffic jams between Erstfeld and Göschenen in canton Uri were up to 11 kilometres long early in the morning.
This content was published on
The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.
This content was published on
The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss fear effects of 5G antennas
This content was published on
Fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications antennas are starting to go up in Switzerland. Not everyone is happy about this.
5G: How a counter-movement took shape in Switzerland
This content was published on
We speak with the founder of the Stop5G citizen group, which wants to put a halt to plans to introduce the technology in Switzerland.
This content was published on
The cantons of Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel and Vaud are reported to have declared or to be considering a moratorium on 5G antennas. The issue is also reportedly on the agenda in Bern, St Gallen and Schwyz. But an OfcomExternal link spokesperson told the SonntagsZeitung newspaper on Sunday that the federal authorities alone are responsible for…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.