Grey Spots Initiative:Telefónica / O₂ and Deutsche Telekom share network infrastructure in grey areas for further improved network coverage

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. Particularly outside residential areas and away from major traffic routes, not all operators have the same network coverage today. This creates so-called grey areas - areas in which not all providers can offer their customers mobile network access via 4G. In these less frequented areas in particular, it is often economically challenging for operators to build separate infrastructures and operate them with their own network technology. The agreement now concluded between Telefónica / O₂ and Deutsche Telekom is aimed at addressing this coverage and profitability gap: both companies plan to implement so-called active network sharing at several hundred selected antenna sites in order to close further "grey areas" in Germany. This is made possible by a new technological approach in the networks of the two providers. At the site, the operators offer all customers 4G access on the 800 MHz frequency band as a result.