Germany’s largest telecommunications operator, Deutsche Telekom, says its 5G network is already about 80 percent ready and aims to reach 99 percent population coverage by 2025.
Addressing a conference of German business leaders, Deutsche Telekom CEO Timotheus Höttges reported that roughly 22,000 of the company’s 27,000 mobile sites are now connected via high-speed fibre-optic links.
Dirk Wössner, Board Member of Telekom Deutschland, commented:
“Everyone wants access to high-speed networks across all areas of society. That’s our driving force. Deutsche Telekom is ready for 5G.
We are working intensively on the rollout of both fixed and mobile networks and will fulfil our responsibility for Germany’s digital future. We are building a network that serves everyone.”
The current sites use single RAN (Radio Access Network) systems, which allow multiple radio standards to operate on the same hardware.
Deutsche Telekom expects parts of its 5G network to go live in 2020, with plans to expand coverage to 99 percent of the population by 2025.
Stephan Broszio, spokesperson for Deutsche Telekom, added:
“Our goal is the highest-performing digital infrastructure for Germany. We intend to achieve this in partnership with companies that are prepared to invest and with responsible policymakers.
We want to accelerate digitalisation in Germany, including cooperation with the public sector to digitalise administration.”
Broszio was speaking after Deutsche Telekom published an eight-point pledge outlining its vision for the future of Germany’s connectivity landscape.
The company plans to invest €20 billion in Germany by 2021. Recently, Deutsche Telekom reached an agreement with competitor Telefónica under which Telefónica will use Deutsche Telekom’s fibre-optic network to connect its own mobile base stations.
Interested in hearing industry leaders discuss topics like these? Attend co-located events in the IoT, blockchain, AI and big data, and cyber security and cloud sectors, which take place in major tech hubs including Silicon Valley, London and Amsterdam.