Telefonica’s German unit installed a 5G radio transmitter on a lamppost in Cologne to boost mobile connectivity for fans visiting for the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament, the latest deployment of infrastructure it plans to use around the country.

The 5G mast is located behind Cologne Cathedral and serves the area around the main train station and nearby fan mile set-up for the football championship.

Telefonica Deutschland said the deployment “offers high bandwidths for 5G and 4G/LTE for mobile telephony and data usage,” which helps ensure the connectivity in Cologne “is prepared for the fans”.

At 19.3-metres high the 5G lamppost is the “most powerful” one in Germany, said MD at the operator’s partner 5G Synergiewerk Ralf Gerbershagen.

Telefonica Deutschland noted the mast will continue to function as a mobile tower after the football championships.

The operator has already deployed the architecture in Frankfurt and Wurzburg. It expects to install 5G masts on street lights elsewhere in Germany this year in collaboration with 5G Synergiewerk, noting the innovation formed “an important building block” for the country’s digitalisation plans.