The development of the number of antenna sites for mobile networks in the Netherlands over the next ten years.

In the next six years, between 296 and 726 new antenna sites will be added in the Netherlands for public mobile networks. This is the result of a study conducted by Dialogic in collaboration with Inwilution and TU/e on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate Policy. Until 2027, we do not expect the deployment of large-scale small cell structures in the Netherlands, as seen in major Asian cities. The data usage on mobile networks is expected to continue growing in the coming years. To process this data, Dutch operators will continue to enhance their networks. The introduction of 5G offers new technology and opportunities to make the networks more efficient, but also leads to new use cases and increased demand for bandwidth. Sometimes, additional antenna sites are required for this. Additionally, new sites are being installed to improve coverage and in new residential areas. Dialogic calculated the needed new number of antenna sites by examining the relationship between demand for mobile data and the capacity of Dutch mobile networks. Based on detailed antenna and network data, we calculated where and when a capacity shortage is expected. At locations where a shortage is anticipated, we then determine the number of antenna installations required and subsequently the number of (potentially shared) antenna sites needed. We take into account different growth and usage scenarios. On the supply side, we consider new technologies like 5G and the deployment of new 5G frequencies, such as in the 3.5 GHz band and the 26 GHz band. The timeline below shows the primary factors that will influence the number of antenna sites in the coming years. For more information about the report, visit overalsnelinternet.nl.