Global telecom operator Deutsche Telekom announced its 5G roll out plans in Germany, its home market.
Deutsche Telekom engineers have set up 5G antennas to support the new communications standard in Deutsche Telekom’s network in downtown Berlin. The antennas, in three cells located in Leipziger Straße and three in Winterfeldtstraße, are based on 5G New Radio (5G NR).
Deutsche Telekom has demonstrated Europe’s first 5G data connection over a live network with this set up. Currently, Deutsche Telekom is deploying an entire 5G cluster in the heart of Berlin.
“We’re continuing on our strong preparation course for the rollout of 5G in 2020,” said Claudia Nemat, Deutsche Telekom Board member for Technology and Innovation.
Deutsche Telekom’s 5G cluster in downtown Berlin is initially spanning an area of up to five kilometers wide. Deutsche Telekom engineers have installed six commercial antennas in sites in Berlin’s Mitte and Schoneberg districts for test operations.
Deutsche Telekom engineers will be adding an additional 70 cells by the summer of this year, across a total of more than 20 sites. The result will be a major 5G test-bed in the center of Germany’s capital.
Walter Goldenits, chief technology officer at Telekom Deutschland, said: “This 5G cluster in Berlin will serve as the basis for our future commercial 5G rollout in Germany. The antennas are providing important test results.”
Currently, the antennas are using frequencies in the 3.7 GHz spectrum band under a testing license; in general, the 3-GHz band is one of the spectrum bands in focus for 5G initial deployments.
Engineers have integrated 5G equipment into the live network infrastructure, ensuring the interaction with Deutsche Telekom’s 4G spectrum in Germany. Engineers will ensure the interconnection and field testing of future 5G services under real-world conditions for the best consumer experience.
The implementation is using 5G equipment from Huawei, as well as software and terminals, based on the 3rd-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard for 5G New Radio (in the non-standalone version).
