- Mobile network expansion across Europe for the 4G experience
- Automatic selection of the fastest available connection
- First LTE stick unveiled for market launch
- Live hologram via LTE at Mobile World Congress
Fast, simple and available everywhere: Deutsche Telekom is rapidly developing its mobile broadband offering as part of a 4G offensive. In the U.S., large portions of the network have already been upgraded for speeds of up to 21 Mbit/s, which will increase again to 42 Mbit/s later this year. At the same time, the bandwidth available to customers in Europe is being massively increased. The HSPA+ standard is already currently available in six European countries within the Deutsche Telekom footprint, including Germany, with a further four countries upgrading later this year. Other mobile data technologies are also being expanded on a large scale, for example WiFi hotspots and LTE.
Deutsche Telekom's customers in Germany, Austria, Poland, Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro can already surf the mobile Internet at speeds of up to 21 Mbit/s in most locations. Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia and Macedonia will join with 21 Mbit/s later this year. In Germany and Austria, this will double, allowing for speeds of up to 42 Mbit/s this year.
"For us, 4G primarily means a flawless user experience for our customers across various technologies," says Edward R. Kozel, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of Deutsche Telekom. "The key feature of the 4G experience is that our customers will always automatically be able to use the fastest connection currently available, on state-of-the-art, high-performance, intuitive devices. It won’t matter whether this connection is based on WiFi, LTE or HSPA+."
One development that makes this experience possible is the roll-out of LTE. In the year 2010, the company connected 1,000 areas in Germany, previously without broadband, to the high-speed network. In 2011, 1,500 additional regions will follow.
Deutsche Telekom is also continuing to develop mobile technologies for the implementation of the 4G experience. 3G capacities are being expanded further, particularly in metropolitan areas where usage is especially high. The company is currently in negotiations with potential partners to significantly enlarge its WiFi hotspot network. It is an ambitious but simple goal: mobile Internet at DSL speed in any location on any device.
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Deutsche Telekom is presenting new devices that will allow customers to enjoy the full benefit of the high-speed network. Highlights include the "move by T Mobile" smartphone, Samsung I 9001 Galaxy S II, the LG Optimus Pad V900 and Motorola Xoom tablet PCs, and the Huawei E398 USB stick. This is the first mobile LTE device that operates on the 800 MHz and the 1,8/2,6 GHz band. The USB stick can be used in 2G, 3G and 4G networks. Furthermore, Deutsche Telekom is presenting apps for the major smartphone operating systems that make it easy to use their hotspots.
Deutsche Telekom presents in an impressive demonstration the capabilities of the LTE mobile communication standard via a holographic presentation. For the first time worldwide, a three-dimensional video transmission will be set up between two locations (Bonn and Barcelona). The large data volumes that this involves will be transmitted almost entirely via the air interface.
About Deutsche Telekom AG Deutsche Telekom is one of the world's leading integrated telecommunications companies, with over 129 million mobile customers, around 37 million fixed-network lines and approximately 16 million broadband lines (as of September 30, 2010). The Group provides fixed network, mobile communications, Internet and IPTV products and services for consumers and ICT solutions for business and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in around 50 countries and has over 250,000 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenue of EUR 64.6 billion in the 2009 financial year - over half of it outside Germany (as of December 31, 2009).