5G expansion in Germany
5G has been available in Germany since autumn 2019. The expansion of the 5G network was initially mainly based on the 4G infrastructure. To this end, existing access networks were upgraded or new radio sites were set up. These were increasingly connected to the 5G core network. This resulted in a mobile network that is operated entirely by 5G technology and is referred to as 5G Standalone.
Advantages of 5G Standalone (5G SA)
By creating a complete 5G network infrastructure and the exclusive use of 5G frequencies, the advantages of the new 5G technology can be better utilised. These include, in particular, higher data rates and lower latency times. Depending on the frequency band used, data-intensive applications, such as merging the digital and analogue worlds using augmented reality, can be implemented. The technology also makes it possible to connect a large number of devices and machines with each other. This is of increasing importance for industry and is used in Internet of Things applications such as e-health or e-government. The very high reliability of the network combined with extremely low latency may also enable applications such as autonomous driving in the future.
Current coverage with 5G
92 per cent of Germany is covered by at least one network operator with 5G. The proportion of the area with 5G SA is already 90 per cent (as of April 2024). At the beginning of the data collection in October 2021, 5G coverage was still 53 per cent. This represents an increase of almost 40 percentage points. Coverage with 5G SA did not yet exist at this time.
Mobile Network Monitoring
All relevant data on mobile network coverage in Germany is collated in mobile network monitoring. The Federal Network Agency's interactive mobile network map shows the current mobile network coverage in Germany from a consumer perspective. The coverage data for the mobile network map is provided by the four operators of the public mobile networks Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone Telefónica Deutschland and 1&1 in accordance with the specifications of the Federal Network Agency. The Federal Network Agency checks this data for plausibility and comparability with the results of the dead zone app, among other things. The data is updated on a quarterly basis. The mobile communications monitoring data is published at https://gigabitgrundbuch.bund.de.
zafaco GmbH provides information services for the Gigabit Grundbuch
The information services Mobile Network Monitoring, Broadband Measurement Map and Dead Zone Map of the Gigabit Grundbuch are provided by zafaco GmbH on behalf of the Federal Network Agency.