Telecommunications provider O2 Telefónica is continuing its comprehensive network expansion program and now covers 96 per cent of the population with its 5G network. This means that more than 80 million German citizens can now benefit from 5G in their everyday lives. Digital data usage by consumers and companies is experiencing significant growth thanks to the 5G standard.
“5G has changed the way we build mobile networks and use digital applications,” explains Mallik Rao, Chief Technology & Information Officer at O2 Telefónica. “It’s not just about mobile telephony and data usage. The mobile network is becoming a programmable supercomputer, thanks to cloud technology, artificial intelligence and open interfaces to digital solutions. We should seize the opportunity to give digitalization in Germany a new boost with 5G.”
96 per cent 5G coverage within four years
It took O2 Telefónica less than four years to expand 5G network coverage from zero to 96 per cent.
5G expansion faster than any previous standard
In October 2020, O2 Telefónica launched its 5G network in the first five German cities. Since then, progress has been rapid: by the end of 2021, the telecommunications provider had already reached a third of the population with 5G, and half by summer 2022. In October 2023, O2 Telefónica cracked the 90 percent mark.
In 2023 alone, O2 Telefónica made a total area of 60,000 square kilometers 5G-capable. That amounts to roughly three times the size of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition, over 14,000 kilometers of roads and railways were supplied with 5G in 2023.
O2 Telefónica is also the only German network operator to date to have activated “5G Standalone” across the entire 5G network. Since October 2023, O2 customers have been able to book a so-called “5G Plus” pack free of charge to use it.
5G use in everyday life on the rise
Consumers are using 5G more and more frequently. At 5G-capable locations with 3.6 gigahertz, the proportion of 5G use is already 35 per cent. O2 mobile postpaid customers with 5G tariffs and 5G-capable smartphones use an average of 75 per cent more data volume than customers without a 5G device.
