Press Releases Telefónica Germany

The current corona issue affects the whole of society. O₂ is assuming responsibility and providing its customers with the best possible support in these challenging times: A special measure will ensure the basic communicative supply of all O₂ private and business customers as well as customers of the second brand BLUE (both prepaid and postpaid). In the coming weeks, they will be able to keep up to date with the latest developments and stay in touch with family and friends without restrictions - by telephone or video telephony, via WhatsApp and other digital channels.

5G you can touch - this is what Telefónica Deutschland is now offering at BASECAMP in the middle of Berlin. The first 5G indoor campus solution in the capital city enables all interested parties to try out the new wireless technology. In addition, the company will be promoting the exchange of information on the key topics relating to 5G at BASECAMP. The official opening ceremony with Telefónica CEO Markus Haas, Eugene Kaspersky, CEO Kaspersky, the President of the Federal Office for Information Security Arne Schönbohm and moderator and journalist Dunja Hayali marked the start of the event.

With its strong performance, the O₂ network secures the grade "good" in the current mobile phone benchmark 2020 of PC Magazin and PC Go, two sister magazines of the trade magazine connect. This puts the network on an equal footing with the other network operators* in the rating ("good"). The O₂ network convinced in various categories and thus once again demonstrates its reliability and performance in the digital customer's everyday life.

Telefónica Deutschland has successfully concluded the 2019 financial year and has fully achieved its targets. As forecast, the company grew profitably: Revenue rose by 1.1 percent to 7.4 billion euros, while adjusted operating income (OIBDA) increased by 1 percent on a comparable basis. The significantly improved network quality and the introduction of innovative tariffs, especially at O₂, paid off. With almost 1.5 million additional postpaid subscribers, more people switched to the O₂ network than ever before since the takeover of E-Plus.

The Management Board and Supervisory Board of Telefónica Deutschland are very pleased that they were able to win Peter Löscher as a suitable successor to Laura Abasolo García de Baquedano. He is to become a member of the Supervisory Board of the company with effect from April 1, 2020.

As of today, the new O₂ Free Unlimited tariffs and the revised O₂ Free S, M and L tariffs are available for new and existing customers.1)2)

Telefónica Deutschland has secured a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) amounting to 450 million euros. The company intends to use the proceeds to build an energy-efficient 5G network and to upgrade its LTE network. In December, Telefónica Deutschland announced that it would significantly increase its investment in the mobile network in 2020 and 2021.

The mobility of the future is becoming tangible: The telecommunications provider Telefónica, together with the German testing company DEKRA, has inaugurated a new test centre for networked and autonomous driving in Malaga, Spain. On the premises, the companies are testing modern 5G solutions and "Vehicle to Everything" (V2X) vehicle technologies together with other cooperation partners from the automotive and technology sector.

In the past twelve months, customers sent almost 1 billion gigabytes of data volume through the O₂ mobile network - also because self-employed people and small businesses are using more and more mobile data. This shows that the O₂ tariffs with their large data volumes at attractive prices meet the needs of customers. For private customers, O₂ will, as just announced, equip the new data tariffs with twice as much performance at the same price and offer three new unlimited tariffs.

O₂ is the first network operator in Germany to offer its customers selected services from Amazon. As of 4 February 2020, new and existing customers alike will be able to enjoy Amazon Music Unlimited: O₂ customers will receive unlimited access to more than 50 million songs, popular radio plays, can follow all Bundesliga matches live via audio and download their favourite songs at an attractive price and thus use them on the move without an internet connection.(1)

The O₂ network establishes the Exabyte era in German mobile communications: In the past twelve months, customers sent almost 1 billion gigabytes of data volume through the O₂ mobile network. This corresponds to about one Exabyte of mobile data. Never before has so much been consumed. With this data volume, you could stream music for more than 1.5 million years at a stretch. In a competitive comparison, the O₂ network is therefore at the forefront when it comes to mobile data usage in Germany.

At the start of the new decade, O₂ is defining mobile telephony completely differently and is offering maximum personal freedom in an increasingly digital world: As the first network operator on the German market, O₂ is placing three unlimited tariffs at the centre of its offer from 4 February.

CTS EVENTIM, one of the leading international ticketing and live entertainment providers, and O₂, the core brand of Telefónica Germany, today announced their partnership in the live entertainment sector. O₂ customers will benefit from exclusive pre-sales, free streaming and exclusive brand experiences at EVENTIM events all year round.

O₂ Business revolutionises mobile communications for business customers | O₂ Business convinces with outstanding value for money, excellent customer service and a convincing network | New online tariff calculator for absolute transparency and fairness

The decade of mobile communications is starting with new records and an outstanding firework of data. On New Year's Eve 2019/20, customers in the O₂ network consumed more data than ever before. In the first hour of the new year (0-1 o'clock) alone, around 190,000 GB of data flowed through the O₂ mobile network - a new record!

Telefónica Deutschland concluded a so-called "Sustainability-Linked Loan" in the amount of 750 million euros via its subsidiary Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG. The interest margin is linked, among other things, to the fulfillment of ESG criteria (ESG = Environment, Social and Governance) in the areas of environmental and climate protection, social commitment and corporate management.

Telefónica Deutschland plans to accelerate its growth significantly in the coming years. Between 2020 and 2022, the company intends to increase its revenue by at least 5 percent overall while further increasing its profitability. As a basis for growth, an additional several hundred million euros are to be invested in network expansion.

Today we wear fitness trackers that are connected to our cell phones via Bluetooth. Via app we synchronize these trackers or Smartwatch with the cell phone in order to look at and evaluate the data in detail. All of this is normal nowadays. However, the new mobile phone standard 5G will turn many things upside down and open up numerous new possibilities for consumers. What is commonly called "disruptive" will also be seen in the health sector.

With 5G, users can play mobile games faster - but is that all? 5G offers enormous advantages for everyone - for industry and society as well as for the individual. From social networking to smartphone use, 5G will fundamentally change many areas. This will benefit the customer as a part of society and as an individual in two ways.

A mobile phone mast forms the final node that makes the 5G network available where it is needed - at the customer's premises. So far, so understandable. But how does the network actually get to the mast?

At the latest since the frequencies required for 5G came under the hammer in the frequency auction in June 2019, 5G has been making the headlines again and again and causing many political debates about the great opportunities for the economy and society.

This never happened before: In all three major German network tests, the O₂ network has achieved the grade "good". In the tests of the specialist magazines connect, CHIP and COMPUTER BILD, the network made the biggest leap forward across all providers in terms of network quality.

Telefónica Deutschland is implementing the largest LTE expansion program in the company's history. The company consistently pushed ahead with the expansion of the O₂ LTE network in October and put more than 550 new LTE transmitters into operation. This has improved broadband coverage and LTE capacities in all 16 federal states.

In the current network test of Smartphone Magazine, the O₂ network was awarded with a "good" rating. With 310 points, O₂ is at eye level with the runner-up in the overall ranking (312 points). Among other things, the O₂ network scored with the best network coverage in Germany (99.96 percent) and strong results in YouTube streaming or ping times.

In the first nine months of the year, Telefónica Deutschland has set a high pace both in mobile and fixed communications segments. By the end of September, the company had gained almost one million net mobile subscribers.