German operator Telefónica Deutschland/O2, controlled by Spanish telco Telefónica, is currently reaching 60 cities with its 5G technology, the operator said in a release.
The telco said that its current 5G network coverage is being provided by a total of approximately 1,300 5G antennas, which currently operate in the 3.6 GHz band.
“By the end of the year, we will cover more than 30% of the population with 5G and the whole of Germany by 2025. This will bring the full 5G power to every corner of the republic, enabling new connectivity solutions for businesses and democratizing high-tech for consumers,” said Markus Haas, CEO of Telefónica Deutschland/O2.
The carrier said that more than 250 5G antennas are already transmitting on 3.6 GHz in capital Berlin, over 120 in Hamburg as well as over 100 each in Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart. In addition, O2 has launched its 5G network in numerous additional cities in recent weeks, including Augsburg and Ingolstadt (Bavaria), Aachen, Gelsenkirchen and Schwerte (North Rhine-Westphalia), and Sindelfingen, Affalterbach and Marbach am Neckar (Baden-Württemberg). The first 5G sites are also live in Wiesbaden (Hesse) and Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate).
The European telco said it aims to build around 5,000 additional 5G antennas in the 3.6 GHz frequency band in 2021. In addition, there will be several thousand more 5G stations over 700 MHz and 1800 MHz.
Telefónica Deutschland/O2 recently launched its new 5G standalone core network. The new 5G standalone servers in the Munich data center are already connected to 5G antennas in the O2 live network.
“We are proud to have implemented our new 5G standalone core network. Our O2 network of the future is taking clear shape. Whether it’s gigabit data rates, real-time communications and separate networks for our business customers – with 5G standalone we are significantly expanding the digital playing field,” said Mallik Rao, chief technology and information officer of Telefónica Deutschland/O2.
By summer 2021, the carrier says its focus will be on implementing the new 5G core network nationwide in all of its own data centers.
The telco also claims to be the first German network operator to bring the vendor-independent Open RAN technology out of the lab and into the O2 live network. Open RAN sites have already been transmitting since December 2020 in Landsberg am Lech – Germany’s first Open RAN City. From the fall of 2021, O2 will convert further locations to Open RAN.
