Federal Network Agency is considering penalties for poor network

Fast mobile internet, whether on the train or at home: This was the promise of the network operators for 2020. But that the expansion goals will actually be achieved by the end of the year seems increasingly unrealistic. The Federal Network Agency is now considering fines.

If the mobile network operators do not catch up on the mandatory expansion of the fast 4G network (LTE) quickly enough, the Federal Network Agency could impose fines from the summer. “We want to see verifiable improvements over the next few months that will ensure that the requirements are fully met by the end of the year,” said regulator president Jochen Homann, according to a statement on Tuesday. “This expressly includes the fact that we may impose fines and fines if necessary.”

In doing so, the network agency continues to pursue its course of obliging network operators to comply with the requirements that were specified when the corresponding frequencies were auctioned.

Fast internet also along the train routes

By the end of 2019, 98 percent of German households should have a download speed of at least 50 MBit per second. The network agency had specified full coverage for motorways and ICE routes. These requirements should prevent operators from neglecting rural regions where expansion is laborious and expensive.

The three large network operators had to report to the Federal Network Agency at the beginning of the year what percentage of German households they could supply with the LTE standard. Nationwide, Telekom and Vodafone each reported more than 98 percent of households, while Telefónica (O2) only 84 percent.

With the Radio network app from the Federal Network Agency can help you to improve network quality in Germany.

The Federal Network Agency, which then carried out its own measurements, now comes to similar results: For Telefónica, the authority has coverage of around 80 percent of households. At Telekom, the network agency sees only a few gaps on the motorways, rails and in three federal states, for which 97 percent of households should be supplied with LTE. The same applies to Vodafone, which, according to the measurement results, slightly missed the requirements in four federal states and on the main traffic routes.

There will be another test in summer

The expansion goals should now be finally achieved by the end of 2020. Before that, the Federal Network Agency set two milestones, namely for the end of June and September. For example, Telefónica must have completed 40 percent of the required locations by the end of June and 65 percent by the end of September.

If the operators miss these intermediate destinations, they will have to face fines. They are also required to report monthly reports on the status of the expansion to the network agency. This will continue to take measurements itself.

“We are sure that we will meet our plan,” said Telefónica on Tuesday. “It is in our own interest to provide large parts of the population and area with mobile communications as quickly as possible.”

Telekom blames residents

Telekom points out that it wants to achieve the required 97 percent coverage in Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg by early summer. This has now been achieved in Saarland. On the other hand, there are often obstacles to expansion on the traffic routes. “Citizens, politicians and industry largely agree that obstacles to expansion must be removed,” said Telekom Germany boss Dirk Wössner. “Specifically, I wish all of us much simpler procedures, standardized processes and greater social acceptance for the construction of cell phone towers.”

In the meantime, operators are already working flat out to expand the superfast 5G network standard. However, since many smartphones do not yet support it, comprehensive and stable coverage with LTE, i.e. 4G, has so far been significantly more important for consumers.

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