Deutsche Telekom: First 5G devices, matching rate plans and applications now available to customers in Germany

Deutsche Telekom: First 5G devices, matching rate plans and applicationss now availble to customers in Germany

• The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G smartphone and the HTC 5G Hub are both already available to customers
• LTE build-out still a major focus for the Deutsche Telekom, particularly in rural areas

(PRESS RELEASE) BONN, 4-Jul-2019 — /EuropaWire/ — Deutsche Telekom has just announced that by the end of 2019 there will be some 300 5G antennas in more than 100 locations across Germany installed and brought online. The telecom has just started off with its 5G network rollout in the country. The first cities the 5G rollout will begin with are Berlin and Bonn, Darmstadt, Hamburg, Leipzig and Munich. According to the company, Germany’s 20 largest cities will be connected with 5G within the next 18 months. Metropolises are first in Deutsche Telekom’s 5G rollout due to the fact that they are home to millions of people and all of them are on the go every day. The build-out will then continue in less densely populated areas as well.

Furthermore, Deutsche Telekom is already ready with the first 5G devices and matching rate plans, and they are already made available to customers. Over 18 start-ups are actively working in Deutsche Telekom’s tech incubator, hubraum, developing 5G applications and products in the company’s live network in Berlin.

Commenting on the 5G rollout, Dirk Wössner, Member of the Board of Management, Deutsche Telekom, and Managing Director, Telekom Deutschland GmbH, said:

“We punched our ticket for a 5G future with the spectrum auction. Our goal now is to get 5G to the streets, to our customers, as quickly as possible. Nearly three-quarters of our antenna locations in Germany are connected with optical fiber – we’re now building on that. Our teams are working hard in every area. Whether we’re talking about the network, rate plans, or devices and applications – we’re speeding up to get 5G started this year. At the same time, we need a clear regulatory framework and pragmatism from the authorities – particularly when it comes to questions regarding regional spectrum, local roaming, allocation of the auction proceeds, and the approval procedures – which takes far too long in Germany.”

In a recent comment, Dirk Wössner, said that the spectrum in Germany is much more expensive than in other countries.

He commented further on the ongoing LTE build-out:

“5G is the future. But at the same time, we know we still have to do our homework in our existing network, which is why the LTE build-out is still a major focus. We plan to build around 2,000 new mobile base stations this year alone. A particular aim is to eliminate white spots in rural areas.”

Deutsche Telekom pays particular attention to the needs of the industry and the network build-out follows the specific needs of business customers. That’s why the telecom is building 5G campus networks.

Commenting on the 5G network rollout in regard to the industry, Claudia Nemat, Deutsche Telekom Board Member, Technology and Innovation, said:

“We’re already working on the 5G network with Osram and automotive supplier ZF. Whether mobility concepts in cities, manufacturing in the industry of tomorrow, or virtual reality in the entertainment sector is involved: 5G is the key. And the industry can count on us as a partner in the 5G rollout.”

Many innovative start ups part of Deutsche Telekom’s tech incubator are already pioneering 5G ideas in live conditions in the Deutsche Telekom’s 5G test field in Berlin, including having used edge computing already. With edge computing, the network responds instantly as the computing power of the cloud is moved as close to the customer as possible. Those are just some of the 5G ideas the starts up are working on: real-time sports information, training with data glasses and data gloves, and autonomous robots in factories, among others.

Commenting on the 5G and the edge infrastructure, Claudia Nemat, said further:

“We intentionally opened up our 5G and edge infrastructure for start-ups and their ideas at a very early stage. Thanks to our collaboration with the start-ups, we’ve learned a great deal about how 5G can be experienced. The feedback from the 5G pioneers showed us how future applications can benefit from the combination of 5G and edge computing.”

Deutsche Telekom has indeed become the first provider in Germany to offer 5G devices and matching rate plans to customers. The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is the telecom’s first 5G smartphone and is already made available in the stores. Early adopters can enjoy 100 euros off the retail price of the new smartphone, which sells for EUR 899.95 in the Magenta Mobil XL Special rate plan. Customers are also given the chance to trade in their old smartphones in exchange for a EUR 200 credit. Deutsche Telekom’s new Unlimited rate plan comes with unlimited surfing for EUR 84.95 per month. In the future, the customers will use both the LTE network and the 5G, wheres the 5G connections will be activated automatically whenever they are available.

Up to 20 devices can concurrently be connected to the network by using the HTC 5G Hub which works as a portable hotspot with speeds that can reach up to 1 GBit/s per user. The 5G Hub users can also rely on many mobile apps as it runs on Android operating system. In the Magenta Mobil Speedbox XL rate plan, the 5G device will cost EUR 555.55. This new rate plan is the first data-only plan with unlimited data volume, including 5G in future and is available to customers for EUR 74.95 per month.

Commenting on the gaming and the augmented reality in the 5G era, Michael Hagspihl, Managing Director for Consumers at Telekom Deutschland, said:

“For our customers a new era will dawn with 5G: 3G has helped music streaming to its breakthrough, with 4G videos were added. 5G will take gaming and augmented reality into a new dimension. Telekom is 5G ready and offers the first 5G devices with suitable rate plans for everyone who wants to be there from the start.”

Deutsche Telekom has already begun 5G testing in Bonn where the company has 5 locations already equipped with the new communications standard. The new 5G network will be combined with Deutsche Telekom’s 5G lab in Bonn to conduct tests on the interaction between network and devices. The Bonn 5G network has already reached transmission speeds of over 1 GBit/s in a live test made with commercially available devices. The telecom operates other test fields in Berlin and Darmstadt and all he test fields will be released for live 5G operation for customers before the end of 2019.

Media contacts:

Marion Kessing
Telephone +49 228 181 49494
E-Mail to media@telekom.de

SOURCE: Deutsche Telekom