Quick Internet to save mountain areas

is shrunk to the Minus 23 per cent: the population in the Bündner oberländer municipality of Trun since 1981. Little better is the Situation in Medel (-15 per cent) and in the neighbouring Sumvitg (-11 percent).

to stop now, However, germinates in the Surselva hope, the brain drain or to brake at least. The mobile operators Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt have in the last week for 380 million Swiss francs, the frequencies for the ultra-radio 5G-fast mobile bought and now want to make 2020 a nationwide 5G-ready network.

Thus, previously unimaginable quantities of data at lightning speed sent. Work in Internet is everywhere possible where a 5G antenna. The turbo power will transform "our society just as profoundly as it once did, the electrification or the rise of the automobile" believes the Swiss Association of telecommunications.

For example, the mountain areas. Because with 5G digital Work can be done in the future, just as quickly and reliably in Trun, Medel or Sumvitg, such as in Zurich, Basel or Bern. "5G will be able to make a contribution and stop the emigration," says therefore, the Grisons CVP-Director of Economics Marcus Caduff, who himself comes from the Surselva. His residential municipality of Lumnezia is also affected by out-migration: minus 8 percent since 1981.

the company's founder, ziehenvon of the city in the mountains

the Expansion of fiber optic networks in some of the Grisons regions of new jobs. "For the past three years, more and more people are settling out of the country, in mountain villages, in which there is a good Internet coverage," says Caduff. He knows the villages of the Surselva and the Engadine, where software developers, company founder and engineers are drawn from the resources of the country, in the mountains in peace and live work. Without fast Internet it would not have been possible. However, fiber optic networks have a decisive disadvantage: they are expensive and, therefore especially for closed settlement areas. A development of the entire rural area with its scattered settlements, isolated hamlets and individual farms would be disproportionately expensive.

Here 5G comes into play. The new technology is due to the higher radiation is controversial. Nevertheless, the rural space has for once a Chance to the cities to hang out. The Parliament has rejected in the past summer, to reduce the comparatively strict Swiss limits for cell phone radiation. The consequence of this is that the mobile phone users in urban areas, where nine out of ten antennas to reach the limit, need to wait longer for the high-speed network than in the country. There, the limits are not reached in many places for a long time.

In the Canton of Uri is still hope now, to stop the brain drain, particularly in the upper Reuss valley is affected. "5G is for the mountain areas a Chance," says CVP-Director of Economics Urban Camenzind. "You can be so that difficult areas could, which had up to now a bad connection. This can help to ensure that jobs are located." For example, people who want to move away from the town, in mountain areas to settle and work here, hoping Camenzind. Or the Locals could easily work in the Home Office, which could slow down the Exodus. "It is essential to have fast Internet connections."

In the cantonal capital of Altdorf, there is since one and a half years, a digital community, the office, a Co-Working Space, as an Alternative to the Home Office or the traditional corporate workplace. Now in Andermatt, on the site of the tourism resorts of the Egyptian Investor Samih Sawiris, a second Co-Working Space.

The rural space for the future

The Swiss group for mountain regions provides for such new offerings as an opportunity for the mountain villages. "With digitisation, there are completely new possibilities," says Director Thomas Egger, the representatives in the national Council sits as the Valais CVP. "The large distances disappear, an architect, an engineer or a software developer can now work equally well in a mountain village like in Zurich."

in Order to accelerate the development, launched by the consortium last summer, with funding from the Federal government and the EU, the project "Smart Villages". 5 upper Valais villages and 28 municipalities in the Entlebuch in the Lucerne Hinterland, which are partly affected also by out-migration. The idea is, with location of unbound jobs, Co-Working Spaces, the digitization of schools, E-Government, car-sharing platforms or Autonomous vehicles in the villages to make it more attractive for the Locals, but also for holiday guests or new residents. The results are to be transferred to other mountain villages in the Alps.

"It's about the rural and mountain areas to make it viable," says Guido Roos, managing Director of the Association of Region Luzern-West. This is involved in the project "Smart Villages" and is currently working on the potential for Co-Working Spaces in Wolhusen, Switzerland, and Schüpfheim. Without the ultra-fast Internet will not go, says Roos. "It is essential, in order to strengthen live and Work in rural areas."

(Sunday newspaper)

Created: 17.02.2019, 20:12 PM