Deutsche Telekom will equip more than 28,000 sites with 10 Gbps high-speed connectivity
German telecommunications operator Deutsche Telekom has already connected 83% of its 5G mobile communication bases across the country with optical fiber, the company announced in a release.
The news agency also said 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.
“Demand on our mobile networks is constantly increasing. Mobile data traffic on the Telekom network alone is increasing by around 30% per year,” said Abdu Mudesir, Head of Technology at Telekom Deutschland. “Thanks to 5G, not only the amount of data but also its pace is rapidly increasing. Therefore, we are not only expanding our network with more and more 5G antennas, but also increasing the speed of our transport network. We have more capacity and speed.”
The news agency also highlighted that 5G antennas on the 3.6 GHz frequency are particularly powerful as they are almost exclusively connected to transport networks with 10 Gigabit connections via fiber optics.
The news agency added that the 3.6 GHz frequency band will complement the 5G frequencies in the 700 MHz and 2.1 GHz ranges already used nationally by Deutsche Telekom’s network. The 3.6 GHz frequency ensures especially high download speeds and smooth mobile coverage, especially in densely populated areas, the carrier said.
Earlier this month, Deutsche Telekom announced that a total of 9,700 5G antennas in 750 cities are now transmitting in the 3.6 GHz spectrum band.
Around 95% of households already have access to Deutsche Telekom’s 5G network, and LTE coverage now reaches 99% of households across Germany.
Last June, Deutsche Telekom announced that it would use spectrum in the 700MHz band for the first time to offer 5G services. The European carrier said the use of the 700 MHz band will improve mobile coverage in rural areas across Germany. In addition to the 700 MHz frequency, there are two radio bands: 2.1 GHz and 3.6 GHz.
Deutsche Telekom said that 5G Standalone (SA) is technically available in the 2.1GHz frequency band, adding that the commercial use of 5G SA for residential customers will begin as soon as the application is available.
Deutsche Telekom began rolling out its 5G network in a limited number of cities across Germany in early July 2019.
