The number one in German mobile sets the course for 5G: Telefónica Deutschland acquires valuable frequency spectrum for the latest mobile radio technology 5G

'We achieved a good result in the auction and acquired a valuable frequency package that ideally complements our existing spectrum and will enable our ambition of being the Mobile Customer & Digital Champion for our customers also in the next 20 years,' says Markus Haas, CEO of Telefónica Germany. 'The new frequency equipment optimizes our network management, opens the way to new business segments and will also enable our many millions of customers to enjoy an even more attractive user experience and thus a plus in mobile freedom in the digital world.' The auctioned spectrum will run until 2040. The Federal Network Agency will formally allocate the spectrum to the company in the 2.1 GHz range with one block effective January 1, 2021 and with another block effective January 1, 2026. The 3.6 GHz spectrum will be available gradually over the next few years and in full from 2022. Due to its physical propagation properties, the currently acquired spectrum will, in a first step, supply conurbations and industrial sites in particular with high data rates and low latency times via 5G. 5G technology also enables much more effective capacity management, so that network performance and overall capacity will increase as the standard becomes more widespread. In this context, private consumers will also successively benefit from 5G as the availability of corresponding terminals increases in the mass market. The availability of frequency spectrum below 1 GHz is also conducive to a faster, more extensive broadband expansion. This spectrum is currently used by some network operators for 2G or 4G applications and is regularly available again after 2025 (800 MHz spectrum) or 2033 (700 & 900 MHz spectrum).