Deutsche Telekom announced that it has discontinued Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) in the 2.1 GHz frequency band, allowing the full spectrum allocation to be used exclusively for 5G services
In sum – what to know:
5G expansion – Deutsche Telekom activated 81 new mobile sites in April and upgraded capacity at 548 existing locations as part of its ultra-capacity network strategy.
More 5G capacity – The operator ended Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) in the 2.1 GHz band to dedicate the full spectrum to 5G services.
Hybrid broadband – Telekom said fixed-mobile hybrid customers will benefit from higher speeds and improved network performance as LTE and 5G coverage expands.
German carrier Deutsche Telekom expanded its 5G mobile network in April by activating 81 new mobile sites and increasing capacity at 548 existing locations as part of its broader ultra-capacity network strategy.
The European operator said most of the newly deployed sites were located in Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Bavaria. Deutsche Telekom currently provides 5G coverage to around 99% of households across Germany, while 4G coverage is close to nationwide.
The carrier also announced that it has discontinued Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) in the 2.1 GHz frequency band, allowing the full spectrum allocation to be used exclusively for 5G services. DSS technology previously enabled LTE and 5G traffic to share the same frequencies dynamically.
According to Deutsche Telekom, reallocating the spectrum entirely to 5G will improve network capacity and provide a more stable user experience. “DSS helped us to rapidly roll out 5G,” said Alexander Jenbar, chief technology officer at Deutsche Telekom. “Now that 5G has become the standard for our customers, we are using the entire 2.1 GHz spectrum for 5G. This provides more capacity and ensures an even more stable and powerful 5G experience for our customers.”
The operator said customers using its MagentaZuhause Hybrid broadband service will also benefit from ongoing LTE and 5G network upgrades. The hybrid offering combines fixed-line and mobile network bandwidth to improve connection speeds, particularly in regions with limited fixed broadband availability.
According to Deutsche Telekom, customers using MagentaZuhause Hybrid XXL can achieve download speeds of up to 500 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 50 Mbps even without fiber connectivity. The telco added that fixed-line connections offering 16 Mbps or 50 Mbps can reach up to 100 Mbps through hybrid connectivity in most parts of the country.
The network expansion forms part of Deutsche Telekom’s broader ultra-capacity network initiative, which aims to double overall network capacity. The operator said 90% of mobile sites are expected to support download speeds of up to 1 Gbps per cell in the future.
As part of the rollout, all sites will use low-band spectrum including 700 MHz, 800 MHz and 900 MHz frequencies to improve coverage and indoor connectivity. The operator is also deploying mid-band spectrum including 1.5 GHz, 1.8 GHz and 2.1 GHz frequencies across most locations to support higher speeds and lower latency.
Deutsche Telekom added that it is continuing to expand fiber connectivity to mobile sites and upgrade network hardware and software to improve efficiency and reduce power consumption.
The telco previously highlighted that 5G antennas on the 3.6 GHz frequency are particularly powerful, because they are almost exclusively connected to the transport network with a 10 Gbps connection via fiber optics. The telco noted that the 3.6 GHz frequency band supplements the 5G frequencies in the 700 MHz and 2.1 GHz range, which are already in use nationwide in the Deutsche Telekom network. Especially in densely populated areas, the 3.6 GHz frequencies ensure particularly high download speeds and smooth mobile phone coverage, the carrier said.
