GERMAN Rail (DB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vodafone to remove black spots from Vodafone’s 4G network across the German rail network, providing seamless, low-latency mobile coverage for passengers.
Vodafone says that by mid-2025, it will aim to provide a 225mbps LTE service along 7800km of main line routes served by ICE and IC trains, and a 125mbps LTE service along a further 13,800km of other routes that carry more than 2000 passengers a day.
To achieve this, Vodafone will install 160 new transmitters and upgrade around 1000 existing transmitters along DB’s busiest inter-city lines. DB will facilitate this work by providing land and fibre-optic infrastructure along its lines, and will also explore new technologies such mobile radio permeable window panes to improve connectivity within trains.
Vodafone also plans to make its 5G+ network available across the rail network from mid-2025, which will allow speeds up of to 225mbps with lower latency than the existing network. DB told IRJ that the free onboard Wi-Fi, which is based on all three main telecommunication networks in Germany, will also benefit from the improvement in Vodafone’s trackside network.
