Business travellers on Germany’s rail network are to get better
mobile coverage after Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Telekom announced they would invest hundreds of millions of euro to eliminate coverage gaps on all long-distance and regional services by 2026 at
the latest, with many routes complete by 2024.
The improvements on the 33,400
kilometre-long network will involve the creation of 800 new mobile towers and sites and will bring mobile service to some regional routes for the first time.
Dr Richard Lutz, chairman of
the management board of Deutsche Bahn, said: “The trains are not just a means
of transport to our customers – they are an office, conference room, and place
to relax all at the same time. To do all that, our passengers rightly demand
that there be gap-free coverage with the mobile communications network. We are
now laying the foundations needed to achieve this.”
Timotheus Höttges, CEO of
Deutsche Telekom, said: "The cooperation between Deutsche Telekom and
Deutsche Bahn is a clear signal. We want to make Germany more digital. Deutsche
Telekom and Deutsche Bahn have a shared responsibility for their customers.
That's why we are now also tackling the issue of rail coverage together and
want to ensure that customers can make phone calls, surf and stream in the best
quality."
Andreas Scheuer, federal minister
of transport and digital infrastructure, said: "Whether at the station or in the
tunnel, in the ICE or in the regional express - the time of 'I have no network'
must come to an end. Mobile surfing and telephony must be possible everywhere
and at all times."