Press Releases Telefónica Germany for topic #network

O₂ has become the first German mobile network operator to successfully make a voice call purely over its 5G Live network. The technological innovation Voice over New Radio (VoNR) makes voice telephony in the 5G network possible in the first place. To date, voice calls in all German mobile networks still run via predecessor technologies.

Telefónica and NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) announced today that they have entered an agreement to conduct Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) pre-commercial trials in Telefonica’s four core global markets: Spain, Germany, the UK and Brazil.

World premiere in Munich: On the occasion of the IAA Mobility, Telefónica Deutschland/O₂ demonstrates the possibilities that 5G technology has to offer for the future of mobility as part of the "O₂ 5G Race Days". Via the public O₂ 5G network, anyone of interest will be able to control racing cars in real time over a racetrack – anywhere across the world and from wherever 5G is available. A 60 meter race track, 6 model cars, 6 Samsung smartphones and a powerful 5G network - for their demonstration, O₂ has set up the race track in the 5G Tech Lab of its Innovation Hub Wayra in the heart of Munich. There, model racers of the startup VROMBR will be controlled via the 5G network for the first time worldwide. Due to its superior technical properties - particularly the exceptionally short response times of currently already 10 to 20 milliseconds - the 5G mobile communications standard makes it possible for control commands to be transmitted from smartphone to automobile in real time.

Mobile analytics company Opensignal awards O₂'s network as the fastest 5G network in Germany in terms of the download speed category. According to the latest industry report on the quality of 5G mobile networks in Germany, O₂ customers experienced significantly faster download speeds than customers in the 5G networks of competitors, with an average of 131.4 Mbit/s.

Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ is accelerating the shutdown of its 3G network in various regions of Germany. Instead of the originally planned implementation by the end of the year, the company will now convert the majority of 3G sites as early as September and carry out the last large-scale shutdowns by mid-November. The company began shutting down the 3G network in individual regions on July 1.

As a partner of Messe München, Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ is setting up comprehensive 5G high-performance mobile communications coverage at the trade fair grounds and for the adjacent A94 motorway. Just in time for the IAA MOBILITY from 7-12 September in Munich, the trade fair in the Bavarian capital is thus also launching into the 5G era.

Telefónica Deutschland / O₂, in cooperation with the energy provider Mainova, has put Hesse's first smart 5G street light into operation in Frankfurt am Main.

O₂ is now offering its O₂ my Home tariffs via Tele Columbus' 2.4 million Internet-enabled cable connections. From July 21, 2021, the O₂ brand is thus expanding the network infrastructure for its fixed-network offering, which is implemented via a broad and unique technology mix of DSL, cable, fiber and 4G/5G mobile. Being already connected to the Vodafone cable network, O₂ will then reach more than 26 million households with fixed-network services via cable connections through its partnership with Tele Columbus, Germany's second-largest cable network provider.

The rapid network expansion of Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ is making itself felt in a significantly better network quality and thus also in a strong increase in data usage by customers. The company's approximately 44 million customers are sending more and more mobile data through the nationwide O₂ mobile network. This is mainly due to the increasing popularity of music and video streaming as well as sharing photos and videos on social media or via messaging apps such as WhatsApp. In the past six months alone, the O₂ network transported around 1 billion gigabytes of data volume - an all-time high in Germany's mobile networks. This means that data usage in the O₂ network has doubled in a period of only two years.

O₂ has started the 5G expansion turbo: In the O₂ 5G network, almost 2,000 5G antennas in around 80 cities are already transmitting on the high-performance 3.6 GHz frequency specially designated for 5G. O₂ customers thus receive higher speeds, additional network capacities and thus an optimal network experience overall. Telefónica Deutschland CEO Markus Haas talked about the current progress of the network expansion offensive and the benefits of 5G for consumers and the economy on the occasion of a "5G theme day" with the news channel ntv (ntv Telebörse on July 2, 9 a.m.). The special feature: For the first time, the interview was broadcasted in real time to the ntv studio via O₂'s own 5G network in Munich.

Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ starts the future of mobile gaming: for the first time, the provider has brought modern virtual reality (VR) games to life via its new O₂ 5G standalone live mobile network. During the premiere in Munich, O₂ showed the game Half Life Alyx, which was named VR Game of the Year 2020 several times. Here, O₂ is working with its partners Ericsson and NVIDIA. Compared to normal computer games, which are shown on a monitor or smartphone display, virtual reality gaming uses VR glasses to immerse players in an interactive 3D environment in which they can look around and move freely. Mobile virtual reality gaming is therefore considered a very demanding digital application that requires extremely short latencies, fast data throughput rates, and very high reliability, which de facto only 5G Standalone can offer in mobile communications. This is the final expansion stage of the mobile communications standard, in which 5G operates completely decoupled from the existing 4G standard.

The O₂ brand is expanding the range of its 5G-capable mobile tariffs. From July 6, all new and existing customers will be able to use the latest mobile communications standard with any of the O₂ Free Unlimited tariffs or a volume tariff from the O₂ Free M onwards. This means that 5G tariffs are available from O₂ from €29.99 per month. When taking out a new contract for one of these tariffs, 5G will automatically be included for O₂ customers, existing customers can book the free "5G access" package¹.

Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ put its 1,500th 5G antenna into operation in the O₂ network. The company has thus achieved an important intermediate step in its ambitious 5G network expansion program. All 1,500 5G antennas in the O₂ network transmit over the powerful 3.6 GHz frequency, which already offers O₂ customers in 60 cities particularly high data transmission rates, extremely short response times and thus an optimal network experience. Exactly two years ago, the telecommunications provider purchased the frequencies at auction from the German Federal Network Agency. Now Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ is expanding its network across Germany with these frequencies on a prioritized basis. This year, the company will further accelerate its 5G rollout and provide more and more cities and regions with 5G.

Starting 1 July, Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ will begin the large-scale shutdown of its 3G network. The resources previously required for 3G will make way for the significantly more powerful 4G network by the end of the year. To this end, the telecommunications provider will use the frequencies of the currently around 16,000 3G transmitters on 2,100 MHz for 4G in the future. O₂ customers as well as customers of Telefónica Deutschland's other own and partner brands will thus benefit from an even better network experience. Compared to 3G, 4G offers customers additional network capacities, higher surfing speeds and significantly shorter response times for mobile data usage. For all O₂ customers still using a device limited to 3G, O₂ is providing attractive offers for new devices.

Telefónica Deutschland and 1&1 Drillisch have agreed upon the long-term stipulations of their future cooperation in a National Roaming Agreement (NRA) and signed a corresponding contract on 21 May 2021. With the conclusion of the NRA and as part of the overall agreement, the remaining ongoing price reviews initiated by 1&1 Drillisch will no longer be pursued.

Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ was the first network operator in Germany to bundle several mobile frequencies in its 5G network at the innovation site in Munich back in April. This accelerates 5G for O₂ customers and ensures a stable high data throughput. With the combination of two frequency bands, the 5G data highway between the customer and the mobile communications system thus gets about twice as many lanes as before.

Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ is continuing its own network expansion offensive in 2021 - with a much stronger focus on 5G and the technological transformation of the network. Following the largest 4G network expansion program in the company's history with over 11,000 new 4G transmitters in the previous year, O₂ is now igniting the 5G expansion turbo. In addition, as a pioneer, O₂ is focusing on technological innovations such as 5G carrier aggregation, 5G standalone, Open RAN and exciting 5G industry solutions via the cloud this year.

Today, 1&1 Drillisch has bindingly accepted Telefónica Deutschland's National Roaming offer dated 5 February 2021. The companies are extending their long-term partnership by converting the current MBA MVNO contract into a National Roaming Agreement (NRA) under the remedy framework from the Telefónica Deutschland and E-Plus merger in 2014. Now, the parties are aiming to finalise the contractual details of the NRA by mid-May 2021.

Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ still aims deliver minimum cumulated revenue growth of five percent between 2020 and 2022 and sustainably improve its profitability | Investment plan for the period of 2020 to 2022 continues | Over 30 per cent 5G coverage in Germany by the end of 2021 and nationwide 5G network by 2025 | Active sharing agreed with Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone in so-called "grey spots" in rural areas | Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ invests proceeds from sale of rooftop sites to Telxius mainly in infrastructure and business development | Progressive digitalisation reduces costs and increases revenues

Telefónica / O₂ and Deutsche Telekom plan to close several hundred so-called grey spots in 4G network coverage for their customers before the end of the year. At the sites, the partners will share active network technology. Unlike previous collaborations such as site sharing or the operator agreement to close white spots, no second separate radio technology or additional antennas need to be installed in this approach. The two companies have now signed a corresponding letter of intent.

Telefónica / O₂ and Vodafone want to close several hundred so-called grey spots in the 4G network coverage for their customers before the end of the year. At the sites, the partners will share active network technology. In contrast to previous cooperations such as site sharing or the operator agreement to close white spots, this approach does not require the installation of a second separate radio technology or additional antennas. A corresponding letter of intent has now been signed by both companies.

Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ implemented the fastest and also most extensive network expansion in its corporate history last year. With more than 11,000 new 4G elements, O₂ significantly expanded its 4G network and met the nationwide requirement of the Federal Network Agency to cover 98 percent of all households. Despite the restrictions imposed by the Corona pandemic, the coverage target of at least 97 percent of all households in each of the 16 German states was also met, as was the requirement for transport routes as far as actually and legally possible. In parallel, the company launched 5G and set the course for the digital future with innovations such as the first OpenRAN stations on the network.

Telefónica / O₂ is taking a technological frontrunner role in the use of Open RAN. The company is the first German network operator to rely on Open RAN in live operation of its mobile network. With the open and vendor-independent solution for the radio access network (RAN), the company is launching a new era for German mobile communications. Open RAN can not only significantly change the supplier structure in the mobile communications sector worldwide, but also significantly accelerate the introduction of new services. Network operators and industry alike will benefit from this. In a pilot phase, Telefónica Deutschland / O₂ is converting three O₂ mobile sites in Landsberg am Lech, Bavaria. From fall 2021, the company plans to roll out the new technology on a larger scale in the O₂ network.

In 2020, Telefónica Germany / O₂ will be vigorously expanding the 4G network as part of the largest network offensive in the company's history. Now the company is reporting an important success: 98 percent of households in Germany are now covered by 4G, thus fulfilling the nationwide requirement of the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA).