German telecom operator O2 Telefonica, controlled by Spanish telco Telefónica and local highway operator Autobahn GmbH have signed a cooperation agreement to expand additional mobile phone sites with 5G technology along the 13,200-kilometer-long highway network.

Under the terms of the deal, Autobahn GmbH will search for and provide suitable federal land along the motorways, at rest areas and on its own properties for the required new 5G sites. In addition, the conditions for land use will be made easier and the approval procedures simplified compared to previous practice. The partners will also re-plan and evaluate sites whose construction was considered impossible in the past or which were rejected in previous approval procedures.

Valentina Daiber, board member for legal and corporate affairs at O2 Telefónica, said: “The agreement enables O2 Telefónica to accelerate the expansion of the network along the motorways. Together with Autobahn GmbH, we want to identify hurdles in the approval process, quickly remove them and develop suitable properties for the construction of new mobile phone sites. This will benefit our approximately 45 million customers when they travel on federal highways. Our goal is clear: nationwide 5G along German motorways too.”

In October 2023, O2 Telefonica had announced the launch of its 5G Standalone (SA) network in the country under the 5G Plus brand. Until this launch, the German telco had been offering 5G services through the NonStandalone (NSA) 5G architecture partly via its LTE/4G core network.

The carrier noted that the new network will enable customers to have access to voice-over-new-radio (VoNR) technology, which enables them to make calls with even better voice quality over the 5G network.

O2 Telefónica said it has already been using the 5G SA technology in 5G campus networks for companies and public authorities since 2020. With this new launch, the company noted that more companies in different sectors such as industry, healthcare and the public sector will have access to improved connectivity.

The carrier’s 5G Plus uses frequencies in the 700 MHz, 1.8 GHz and 3.6 GHz bands.

The telco said it expects its 5G SA service to reach full coverage in Germany by the end of 2025.