Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Telekom are targeting to eliminate coverage gaps along all railway lines in long-distance and regional services by end of 2026.
Both companies have agreed that Deutsche Telekom is to build out its mobile communications network along Deutsche Bahn’s railway lines, close any gaps, and significantly increase its network’s performance. Together, the two companies are investing a sum in the hundreds of millions in order to achieve this goal.
The planned investments will be made to build out many routes by 2024 and will be finished on all routes by the end of 2026. Passengers on a number of regional routes will then have reception for the very first time.
Deutsche Bahn’s rail network covers a total of 33,400 kilometers, 7,800 kilometers of which are major routes which are used by all ICE trains as well as main IC trains. Deutsche Telekom wants to supply these routes with data rates of more than 200 Mbit/s by the end of 2024.
Deutsche Telekom will put around 800 new cell sites into operation in the coming years and expand its capacity at hundreds of sites in order to improve the mobile communications network all along the railway lines. Deutsche Bahn wants to make spaces and fiber-optic infrastructure available to an even greater extent all along its tracks and provide services relating to planning, permission, and construction processes.
Dr. Richard Lutz, Chairman of the Management Board of Deutsche Bahn
The trains are not just a means of transport to our customers – they are an office, conference room, and place to relax all at the same time. To do all that, our passengers rightly demand that there be gap-free coverage with the mobile communications network.
Timotheus Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom
We want to make Germany more digital. Deutsche Telekom and Deutsche Bahn have a shared responsibility for their customers. That's why we are now also tackling the issue of rail coverage together and want to ensure that customers can make phone calls, surf and stream in the best quality.
