Deutsche Telekom said its 5G and FTTH rollouts are moving according to plan.
Two key metrics on the network expansion achieved so far in 2021:
- 430,000 FTTH fixed lines enabled. This required 30,000 km of fiber. In July alone, more than 85,000 connections were made.
- 5G population coverage increased to over 85 percent. A total of 55,000 antennas are now transmitting with 5G in Telekom’s mobile network. 5G on the ultra-fast 3.6 GHz frequency band is now available in more than 60 cities.
In a briefing in Bonn, Srini Gopalan, member of the Telekom Board of Management responsible for business in Germany, and Walter Goldenits, Telekom’s Head of Technology in Germany, also confirmed that reconstruction in the flooded areas is progressing. Telekom is deploying fiber optics for reconstruction in 17 parts of communities that were severely affected by the floods and will connect around 35,000 households directly to its fiber network.
Srini Gopalan: “With our modern fiber infrastructure, we offer our customers exactly what they expect from us: the best connectivity in the best networks. That’s why we’re not slowing down in our rollout, but continuing to ramp up our machinery. Our ambition is to be the leader in both fixed and mobile communications. To this end, we are investing over EUR 2 billion a year in fiber roll-out. More than any of our competitors.”
“In communities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants, the digital infrastructure is often not as well developed as in the big cities. That is why we want to implement at least eight million fiber connections in rural areas by 2030. Fiber rollout is a highly complex local business. That is why open dialog with local authorities and their decision-makers is so important to us. That is also one reason why we are increasingly shifting responsibilities and decision-making authority from Bonn to the regions,” says Srini Gopalan.
“For us, 5G is an ‘and technology’, not an ‘or technology’. Our 5G approach is all about speed and latency. So is urban and rural 5G. We combine frequency bands. And we use the technologies in such a way that our customers have the highest added value,” explains Walter Goldenits.
“We are currently operating stand-alone sites in four German cities and are very satisfied with the tests. This technology will unleash the full potential of virtual and augmented reality, mobile gaming and industrial networking. However, various development steps are still necessary before the switchover is complete, as added value for our customers is our top priority – and this added value lies in providing high-speed coverage over as large an area as possible,” continues Walter Goldenits.