Autobahn, Telekom partner to drive nationwide communications

Deutsche Telekom and Autobahn GmbH are picking up speed in the expansion of the mobile communications network along the autobahn.

Both companies agreed that Telekom will increase the quality in its network along the autobahns. The aim is to significantly increase surfing speeds and minimize the number of dropped calls. To this end, Deutsche Telekom will build around 400 additional mobile sites along the 13,000-kilometer highway network.

Existing radio sites will be modernized. By the end of 2027, 5G and LTE with at least 200 Mbit/s will then be available throughout the Telekom network on all highways in Germany.

Today, the rate is 100 Mbit/s. To ensure that mobile network expansion on the autobahn can really take off, the cooperation provides for a simplified, faster and joint site search and construction planning.

In future, Autobahn GmbH will also provide Telekom with land in the immediate vicinity of the roadway. This means that new masts can also be built on embankments, at rest areas or in building yards.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Oliver Luksic, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport: "The launch of the cooperation between Autobahn GmbH and Telekom is a milestone. After all, nationwide coverage of the highway network with 5G is an important goal of the German government.

The importance of the 5G roll-out in terms of infrastructure policy is high and opens enormous traffic and economic opportunities. All other mobile network operators are also called upon to further expand their infrastructures along federal highways.

This will open up new fields of application around autonomous, connected and sustainable mobility. We have the ambition to significantly improve connectivity along our transport routes. This is an important prerequisite for boosting our innovative strength and strengthening competitiveness and prosperity in Germany."

"Fast, nationwide mobile communications coverage is an essential prerequisite for modern mobility and lays the foundations for the next technological leaps in transport technology. Future technologies such as automated driving, smart traffic control, proprietary applications, parking space detection or traffic jam recognition in real time and, in perspective, autonomous driving require high-performance, nationwide broadband coverage along the highway. This can significantly advance the digitization of society and make an important contribution to greater sustainability in road traffic," emphasizes Stephan Krenz, CEO of Autobahn GmbH.

"We are shifting up a gear on the Autobahn. Today, there is already end-to-end mobile communications coverage at 100 Mbit/s on the autobahn. In the future, we want to double the data rate. We will close the very last gaps, just as we are improving coverage in the highway tunnels. People on the move should be connected in the best possible way," says Abdu Mudesir, Head of Technology at Telekom Deutschland.

The new cooperation improves mobile coverage of traffic routes beyond the requirement level demanded by the Federal Network Agency. The cooperation also benefits from an amendment to the Federal Highway Act of 2020, according to which the construction of mobile communications masts can also be approved in the basic no-attachment zone 40 meters to the right and left of the highway.

This facilitation of mobile communications expansion is now having a positive effect on the partnership, as more of Autobahn GmbH's federally owned land can now be used for mobile communications expansion.