Telefonica Deutschland (O2) has announced that it is now providing 5G coverage to one-third of the German population, via 10,000 5G antennas. Of this figure, 5,000 cell sites are said to utilise the 3.6GHz band. Munich, Stuttgart and Nuremberg all boast 80% 3.6GHz coverage, while availability is around 75% in Cologne and Bonn. In Berlin, Hamburg and Essen, meanwhile, 3.6GHz 5G reaches around half of the population.
Elsewhere, the 700MHz band is primarily being used to deliver 5G coverage to rural communities. Telefonica notes that the 5G rollout will be complemented by the use of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technology via the 1800MHz band; DSS enables the parallel operation of 4G and 5G services via one frequency band.
By the end of 2022 Telefonica says it will cover 50% of the population with its 5G network, with nationwide coverage expected to be achieved by end-2025.