- For more coverage in the pub and in the shop
- Repeater amplifies 4G and 5G signals
- Up to 200 testers now wanted
5G at the regular bar? Or even more 4G at the hairdresser or in the office? To make this work, Deutsche Telekom is testing a new repeater for more mobile coverage in buildings. Test customers can now apply for the pilot test. A so-called dual-band repeater is being used for the test. The device amplifies the mobile communications signal. This ensures optimum reception in shops, pubs and homes. The special feature: In addition to the 4G/LTE signal, the repeater also amplifies the new mobile phone standard 5G. A first for Europe.
"Especially for our smaller business customers, this is a great opportunity to equip their premises with fast mobile communications. It allows them and their customers to benefit from the new opportunities offered by 5G," says Hagen Rickmann, Managing Director Business Customers of Deutsche Telekom in Germany.
The challenge of mobile phone reception in buildings
In buildings, the radio signal cannot simply penetrate to the receiver. It often has to overcome several walls - which weakens it. With the high frequency bands of the new 5G standard, this challenge continues to grow. The new repeater now ensures fast 5G and 4G coverage in buildings. Up to 200 testers can participate in the pilot. This is aimed at companies that want to equip their shops, bars or even conference rooms. Private customers are also invited to apply.
Cooperation between SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom
The test is made possible by a cooperation with SK Telecom. The two market leaders from Korea and Germany have been working together as strategic partners for several years. They use the respective strengths and know-how of both companies. In this way, both partners want to open up new growth areas. SK Telecom has already successfully developed 5G and 4G indoor solutions for its South Korean customers. The dual-band repeater is one of the first results of the cooperation, from which customers in Germany can now also benefit.
LTE as the basis for 5G
The Deutsche Telekom 5G network is already available in eight German cities: Berlin, Bonn, Darmstadt, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Cologne. In 2020, the number of 5G antennas from Deutsche Telekom will be in the four-digit range. This year, Deutsche Telekom is bringing the new mobile communications standard to over 20 cities, including all 16 state capitals. For 5G, Telekom will use 4G sites in the first step. This is because the new technology is synchronized and brought into the network via LTE. 5G is "piggybacking" on LTE. Deutsche Telekom is building the 5G antennas in addition to the ongoing LTE expansion. Up to 10,000 new LTE mobile communications sites are planned throughout Germany over the next four years, half of them in rural areas. In addition, several thousand LTE extensions to existing masts are planned. LTE coverage in Germany is 98.1 percent of the population. Three-quarters of Deutsche Telekom's around 30,000 mobile communications sites are technologically ready for 5G.
Go-ahead: Join in now
Deutsche Telekom customers can now apply for the pilot test here (German). The test is scheduled to start in the second quarter of the year. Participation in the pilot is free of charge. Test customers will receive the repeater including installation free of charge for the test period. The test is regionally limited to the eight 5G expansion cities.
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