Telecommunications provider Vodafone wants to further expand its 5G cell phone network in Germany. Currently around 92 percent of German homes are within range of Vodafone’s 5G antennas and this should be 95 percent by March 2025. “At the same time, we are equipping our existing mobile phone stations with additional capacity,” Vodafone Germany boss Marcel de Groot told dpa in Dusseldorf.
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This is also happening with a view to the upcoming addition (transfer) of mobile phone customers of competitor 1&1. It only has a few antennas of its own – where it does not broadcast itself, its customers are currently still connected to the O2 network. In the summer, 1&1 will switch to Vodafone for “national roaming”, and then around 12 million 1&1 customers will gradually have to be transferred to the Vodafone network. This increases Vodafone’s rental income and increases network usage; the company recently said it has around 31 million mobile phone customers in Germany.
Competitors are ahead in expanding 5G cell phone networks; Deutsche Telekom currently has 96 percent domestic coverage and O2 Telefonica has 95 percent, and both companies are aiming to reach a figure of nearly 100 percent by the end of 2025.
No new frequency auction, more money for 5G expansion
The auction of mobile phone frequencies was originally scheduled to take place this year, but this time the Federal Network Agency wants to skip it and use some frequencies instead Extend the right of use for up to five years. In return, the companies must commit to increasing network expansion until 2030. Then 99.5 percent of Germany must be supplied with at least 50 megabits per second.
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Vodafone Germany boss De Groot believes that the network agency’s new course – i.e. the abandonment of auctions – is “fundamentally good for cell phone users in Germany”. Ultimately, network operators will have more money for expansion. “Every euro that goes into masts instead of licenses is a euro well invested,” the manager said.
Criticism of possible conversion due to Chinese components
However, the proposed expansion targets in the region will only be achieved “if politicians accelerate the expansion of mobile communications across the country by legally determining that this is of outstanding public interest,” says de Groot. “And it is also clear: if mobile phone antennas are ordered to be dismantled across the country, the proposed coverage targets will not be achieved.”
By this remark he means Views in federal politicsRemoving Chinese components from the German antenna network. This would cause problems for the three established mobile phone network operators Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica O2. After all, they all rely on Chinese provider Huawei for their antenna networks, whose high quality they value.
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