Deutsche Telekom, Deutsche Telefonica and Vodafone each covered 59% to 77% of their areas with 5G
5G networks covered 90% of German territory as of October, up from 79% in October 2023, according to data from the country’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur).
Local operators Deutsche Telekom, Deutsche Telefonica and Vodafone each provided 5G coverage between 59% and 77% of the area.
“The expansion of 5G in Germany has so far been gradual. Initially, the existing 4G infrastructure was mainly used for the expansion of 5G Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (5G DSS). , expansion will increasingly focus on 5G standalone (5G SA). In the 5G standalone version, only 5G infrastructure is used in both the radio access network and the core network. Therefore, consumers They can benefit from improved network coverage and generally higher data rates,” said Bundesnetzagentur.
Deutsche Telekom says its 5G network currently covers 96% of Germany’s population (not geographically). Deutsche Telekom’s 5G network has 80,000 5G antennas, of which more than 10,000 antennas are transmitting in the 3.6 GHz band in more than 800 cities and municipalities nationwide.
Deutsche Telekom’s 5G technology currently offers download speeds of up to 1 Gbps. The company expects 5G to reach 99% of Germany’s population by 2025.
Deutsche Telekom announced in August that 83% of its 5G mobile communications hubs nationwide are already connected with fiber optics.
The news agency also said that more than 10,000 5G mobile sites now have fiber optic connections with 10 gigabit speeds, accounting for about 40% of all 5G mobile radio systems. Deutsche Telekom plans to equip more than 28,000 mobile sites with 10 Gigabit high-speed connections by 2026.
Meanwhile, Vodafone Germany’s 5G network now reaches 90% of the country’s population. The carrier’s 5G standalone network (SA) serves 45% of Germany’s population, the carrier added. Vodafone has previously stated that 5G SA technology will be covered nationwide by 2025.
Vodafone currently operates more than 26,000 mobile radio stations in Germany, including around 15,000 5G stations.
Vodafone Germany launched its 5G standalone network last year in partnership with Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm and Oppo. For 5G expansion, Vodafone currently relies on frequencies in the 3.6 GHz, 1.8 GHz and 700 MHz bands in metropolitan areas, residential areas, suburban and rural areas across Germany.
Vodafone initially launched its 5G network in Germany in 2019 using the 3.5GHz spectrum it acquired from Telefonica in 2018.
In October, Telefonica Deutschland announced the launch of a 5G standalone network in the country under the 5G Plus brand.
The carrier’s 5G Plus uses frequencies in the 700 MHz, 1.8 GHz, and 3.6 GHz bands.
Telefonica activated around 1,000 new 5G sites across the country in the first quarter of this year. The carrier said it is focused on densifying its 5G network in both urban and rural areas of Germany.
