2,000 measures since the start of the year Telefónica Germany is accelerating network expansion and builds twice as many new towers as in the previous year

Telecommunications provider Telefónica Germany has further accelerated the nationwide expansion of its mobile network in the first quarter of 2026. Whether it’s streaming, navigation, mobile working, or digitized processes in businesses and government bodies: data demand is rising—and with it, the need for a network that remains stable at all times, even during “rush hour.” Since the start of the year, Telefónica Germany has implemented 2,000 expansion measures to improve mobile coverage. That represents a 25 percent increase in expansion activities compared to the same period last year (1,600 measures in the first quarter of 2025). In practical terms, the company successfully implements about one project per hour. “A mobile network is like the nervous system of digital society: it must transmit signals quickly and reliably everywhere—without drops, even when many people are online at the same time. That is precisely why we are consistently expanding our network in terms of coverage, capacity, and speed. So that people in cities, in rural areas, and along transportation routes can make calls, work, and use data-intensive applications reliably. Independent tests show that this approach is working,” says Mallik Rao, Chief Technology and Enterprise Business Officer at Telefónica Germany.

The focus is on building new mobile network sites to improve coverage in previously underserved regions as well as along rail lines and roads. As a result, drivers and rail passengers on the Telefónica Germany network benefit from stable, uninterrupted connections. Around 200 new sites went into operation in the first quarter—more than two per day. This means Telefónica Germany has built twice as many new sites as in the previous year (around 100 new sites in the first quarter of 2025). New towers are now on air in locations including Waldeck (Bubenkreuz) in Hesse, Niederhornbach (Pfeffenhausen) in Bavaria, Waidacher Forst in Upper Franconia, Schweix in Rhineland-Palatinate, and Willitzgrün in Saxony.

In addition to new coverage, Telefónica Germany is boosting network performance in areas where many people are online at the same time—ensuring that data doesn’t get “stuck in traffic” even during peak usage times, but is transmitted reliably. Since the start of the year, the company has implemented more than 1,100 capacity upgrades. Additionally, Telefónica Germany has activated more than 600 new 5G sites. The 5G network reaches around 99% of people in Germany. At the same time, Telefónica Germany is driving forward innovation projects—such as the rollout of 5G streetlights in heavily trafficked urban areas. In Frankfurt am Main, new 5G streetlights are in operation on Reuterweg, Eschersheimer Landstraße, and Weißfrauenstraße, among other locations.

The progress is also evident in independent tests: In the connect network test, the O₂ network received a “very good” rating (937/1000 points) and ranked second overall.* The test conducted by the trade magazine Chip also rated Telefónica Germany's network as “very good”. Under the slogan “The network that’s better than you think,” the provider is currently running a broad-based advertising campaign to draw attention to entrenched prejudices about the network and highlight its actual performance capabilities.