The new O₂ network is available in more and more cities and regions

The network integration is a major project unparalleled in Europe and is currently in full swing across Germany, making great progress in all regions. Telefónica Deutschland has already successfully completed the merger of the O₂ and E-Plus mobile networks in several major German cities and rural regions. Mobile customers in Munich, Stuttgart, Halle (Saale), Braunschweig, Potsdam as well as in southern Germany and the western Münsterland, to name but a few, now benefit from the new O₂ network. In the weeks and months to come, the company will gradually complete the network integration in other areas of Germany and improve the performance of the new network. As part of the nationwide network integration, the network experts at Telefónica Deutschland are restructuring and optimising the mobile network to an extent that is unparalleled as yet. A total of several tens of thousands of mobile phone locations are being worked on and equipped with state-of-the-art, high-performance technology. At the same time, the company is investing heavily in LTE expansion in order to build additional LTE stations in urban as well as rural areas. Telefónica Deutschland is currently activating more than 100 new LTE stations per week. As a result, even more O₂ customers can browse the internet at high speed, stream videos smoothly, share their pictures with other people within seconds and make calls in best HD voice quality thanks to voice telephony via LTE (Voice over LTE; VoLTE). “As the major project network integration progresses, we are creating an improved and more efficient O₂ network in more and more cities and regions in Germany,” says Cayetano Carbajo Martín, member of the management board and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Telefónica Deutschland. “In the months to come, customers in further regions will benefit from a better network experience. Our new network serves as the optimal basis for providing our customers with mobile freedom in a digital world. To this end, we will continue to invest in comprehensive network expansion and network optimisation measures.”

Munich: 750 mobile stations converted for the new O₂ network In the Bavarian capital of Munich the unparalleled dimensions of the technical major project that is the network integration are particularly evident: In recent months, the network experts at Telefónica Deutschland have converted and modernised 750 mobile locations for the new O₂ network. In addition, 249 additional LTE stations were built. The result: O₂ customers in Munich now benefit from a significantly better network experience and on average receive significantly higher data rates. Greater Stuttgart area: Number of LTE stations has almost tripled The successfully completed network integration is also paying off in the greater Stuttgart area: Nearly 700 mobile communications locations were modernized to improve the performance of the O₂ network. The number of LTE stations almost tripled – by more than 300 additional locations. In the weeks and months to come, Telefónica Deutschland will take further comprehensive network optimisation measures to improve the network quality in Stuttgart and the surrounding area. This also includes optimisation specifically along important transport infrastructures such as tunnels and motorways. Halle (Saale): Nearly all mobile locations have LTE reception In Halle (Saale), customers also benefit from area-wide LTE coverage when browsing the internet on the go. To this end, as part of the network integration, Telefónica Deutschland has converted more than 100 mobile locations and has in addition upgraded 74 mobile locations with LTE. Together with the locations that already had LTE technology, nearly every single mobile location in Händel’s birth town now has the powerful technology. Along the new ICE line between Berlin and Munich, which runs through the greater Halle area, the network has been optimised to provide even O₂ customers on a train journey with continuous network reception (including LTE). Network integration on the finish line throughout Germany The network merger of O₂ and E-Plus is currently on the finish line throughout Germany. Not only will Telefónica Deutschland complete the network integration in more and more cities and regions in the months to come, it will also drive the network optimisation and demand-driven expansion with additional LTE capacities. Of course, the expansion according to demand also takes place in areas that are already fully consolidated, because demand usually changes with supply. Special attention is also paid to network optimisation work at important infrastructure points. These include pedestrian zones, shopping centres, industrial estates, office buildings and hotels as well as trade show grounds, railway stations and airports. This way, the company ensures even faster and more stable transmission of increasing data. With the new O₂ network Telefónica Deutschland will ultimately draw upon an optimal basis for implementing future network technologies such as the future standard 5G. The new joint mobile network is also an important element in becoming the customers’ preferred partner in the German mobile communications market – the “Mobile Customer & Digital Champion.”