Review of mobile network operators’ coverage reports complete

The Bundesnetzagentur has completed its review of the reports submitted by mobile network operators Telefónica, Telekom and Vodafone on meeting the coverage obligations from the 2015 spectrum auction. None of the three mobile network operators have fully met the coverage obligations on time.

"Our primary objective remains the expansion of mobile broadband coverage throughout the country," says Jochen Homann, President of the Bundesnetzagentur. "In the coming months we want to see verifiable improvements which ensure that the obligations are fully met by the end of the year. This expressly includes our option to impose penalties and fines."

Review by the Bundesnetzagentur

The mobile network operators’ reports from the beginning of the year were reviewed by the Bundesnetzagentur’s radio monitoring and inspection service.

The reviews by the Bundesnetzagentur have shown that Telefónica has not met the obligations in all 13 non-city states and only approximately 80% for the main transport routes.

Telekom has narrowly fallen short on its obligations in a total of three federal states (Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland) and has not met its obligations for the main transport routes, with 97% coverage for the motorways and 96% coverage for the rail routes.
 
For Vodafone the reviews by the Bundesnetzagentur have shown that the obligations in a total of four federal states (Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland) and for the main transport routes were not met on time. The main transport routes fall short of the coverage requirement, with 96% coverage for the motorways and 95% coverage for the rail routes.

Further action

The Bundesnetzagentur has now called on the companies to fully meet their obligations by no later than 31 December 2020. The companies have also been given deadlines for milestones in June and September in order to help counter further delays as early as possible.

Further expansion will be sharply monitored by the Bundesnetzagentur. The mobile network operators must report monthly on their continued expansion efforts. The Bundesnetzagentur also monitors the commissioning of sites through its own measurements on location.

In the event that the milestones and the complete fulfilment of obligations are not met on time, the Bundesnetzagentur will issue fine warnings and set penalty amounts. This should apply pressure so that the coverage obligations are met as quickly as possible. The Bundesnetzagentur can also impose fines as part of an overall assessment should the obligations still not be met by the end of this year.

2015 coverage obligations

The Bundesnetzagentur imposed conditions on the frequency assignments for the spectrum auctioned in 2015 to the effect that the mobile network operators had to ensure supply as of 1 January 2020 at a minimum transmission rate of 50 MBit/s per sector to 98% of households nationwide and to 97% of households in each federal state. In addition, the main transport routes (motorways and rail routes) were to receive full coverage.

Press release (pdf / 313 KB)