Vodafone continues to expand with fast 5G networks in German cities such as Berlin, Düsseldorf (pictured), Hamburg, Munich and Leipzig. (Picture: Vodafone)
Vodafone has recently put 5G antennas into operation in more than 300 German cities and communities, reaching over 10 million people. Vodafone says it has already reached its expansion target for 2020 and is continuing to adjust its targets upwards.
With around 3,000 5G antennas, Vodafone currently reaches 10 million people in Germany with the new mobile communications technology. By the end of the year this figure is expected to rise to more than 15 million people. In the coming year, the company plans to double this figure again to 30 million, 10 million more than previously planned. By way of comparison: Deutsche Telekom says it currently reaches 40 million people.

Residents of Berlin, among others, can be happy about a 5G network extension from Vodafone. Although the fast mobile network does not yet cover the entire capital, it is available in many inner-city areas. Preparations for further large-scale expansion are underway in other major cities, including Hamburg, Munich, Düsseldorf and Leipzig.

Technology mix: 5G expansion in cities, especially in mid-band and high-band

For 5G expansion in Germany, Vodafone is relying on 5G frequencies from the so-called mid-band (1.8 gigahertz range) at most locations – especially in cities – and on frequencies from the high-band (3.5 gigahertz) at particularly highly frequented locations. A mobile radio station, where 5G is activated in the mid-band, supplies a radius of up to three kilometers with the new mobile radio technology and currently provides bandwidths of up to 500 megabits per second – depending on the number of users accessing the network at that location. A 5G station in the high-band can already reach speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second, but only supplies a radius of one kilometer or less with network.

In the countryside: 5G in low-band mainly as a replacement for slow DSL

In addition to the 5G expansion in the high and mid-bands, Vodafone is also using frequencies in the so-called low band (700 megahertz) at individual locations to expand mobile communications in rural areas and to close gaps in coverage. These frequencies extend up to eight kilometers and provide bandwidths of up to 200 megabits per second.