Vodafone Germany is giving a new lease of life to an old part of the cityscape. The familiar advertising pillars found across German cities are being transformed into 5G mobile base stations, delivering high-speed connectivity in areas where traditional masts are difficult to install.
In Düsseldorf, more than 100 such columns are already operational, providing 5G coverage across the city. Each pillar houses three compact antennas and all the equipment normally found on large masts, integrated neatly within the structure’s roof and concrete body. The design, developed in partnership with Ilg Outdoor Advertising, allows each pillar to cover an area of about 400 metres. The system is connected via fibre optics, ensuring low latency and data speeds of up to 1 Gbps.
This approach offers a practical solution to one of the biggest challenges of urban network expansion: finding new sites for antennas. Rooftop locations are often limited and subject to complex planning processes. By reusing existing structures, Vodafone has found a way to speed up deployment while blending infrastructure discreetly into the urban environment. The entire installation process for a 5G pillar takes less than half the time required for a conventional mobile base station.
The benefits of the project are already clear. In Düsseldorf, each 5G advertising pillar supports around 6,000 connections per day and handles roughly 200 gigabytes of data every week. The network, built with Ericsson’s equipment and operating on Vodafone’s standalone 5G+ technology, offers minimal latency and improved reliability. These compact sites helped strengthen coverage ahead of the European Football Championship, ensuring stable service in and around the stadium, fan zones and transport hubs.
Following the success in Düsseldorf, Vodafone is now extending the concept to other cities. Stuttgart recently became the first city in Baden-Württemberg to host a 5G advertising pillar, with five more due to follow by the end of the year. In total, up to 100 of Stuttgart’s 600 advertising columns could eventually be upgraded to 5G, enhancing coverage across busy streets, squares and landmarks such as the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the MHP Arena.
Each Stuttgart pillar uses Ericsson’s antenna technology and can deliver download speeds of up to 500 Mbps. The initiative is supported by local authorities who view it as a sustainable and space-efficient way to boost digital infrastructure. The combination of heritage and high technology brings a modern function to an iconic feature of German cities that dates back to the 19th century.
Vodafone’s 5G advertising pillars represent a clever mix of innovation, design and practicality. By making use of existing street furniture, the company is not only accelerating the rollout of next-generation connectivity but also showing how urban infrastructure can evolve to meet the digital needs of modern life.
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