Deutsche Telekom is setting new standards in railway connectivity, achieving goals two years ahead of schedule. Over the past three years, the collaboration with Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway company, has focused on enhancing mobile reception across the nation’s train networks.
Initially starting in 2021, both firms committed to boosting mobile connectivity under complex railway conditions, like tunnels and nature reserves. The plan was to provide high-performance mobile coverage throughout the network by the end of 2026. However, significant strides have been made sooner, demonstrating their commitment.
A major investment went into installing over 470 new mobile towers and upgrading around 1,900 sites along railway routes. This substantial infrastructure overhaul ensured 99% of Germany’s 7,800km main routes now deliver at least 200 Mbps speeds. Impressively, 95% of these can reach 300 Mbps or more. Secondary routes didn’t lag behind and showed remarkable improvement too. Coverage on these routes increased from 73% to 94% between 2021 and 2024.
Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn, highlighted this achievement by saying, “The cooperation between Deutsche Telekom and Deutsche Bahn shows that Germany is making progress in digitization!” He continued, explaining how uninterrupted mobile reception is now almost ubiquitous, thanks to transparent windows in train carriages.
Timotheus Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, shared insights into overcoming obstacles while focusing on future challenges. “We built a new mast every two and a half days. We significantly increased data rates,” he said. “But we have not yet reached our goal and must take further steps together.”
Moreover, Deutsche Bahn is investing €50 million more in a pioneering window technology. This groundbreaking solution replaces antiquated repeaters with laser-etched windows that let mobile signals easily penetrate while maintaining sunlight protection.
