The LTE express running at 225 Mbps is expected in 2025
GERMAN Rail (Deutche Bahn or DB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vodafone to jointly remove all the black spots from Vodafone’s 4G network across the German rail network, the International Railway Journal has revealed. Vodafone Germany says that by mid-2025 there will be an express 225 Mbps LTE service running the length of the 7800km of main line routes served by ICE and IC trains. A slower, but still impressive, LTE service will run at 125mbps along a further 13,800km of other routes that carry more than 2000 passengers a day.
The deadly curse of the Black Spot
To achieve this Vodafone must install 160 new transmitters and upgrade around 1000 existing transmitters along DB’s busiest inter-city lines. DB will provide the land and fibre-optic infrastructure along its lines. It 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 the International Railway Journal 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.