DB and DT Plan Seamless Mobile Network Along All Tracks

Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Telekom plan to radically improve mobile reception on trains. Passengers using the DT mobile communications network will be able to make calls and surf the internet on all routes without interruption in much better quality than currently available. By 2026 at the latest, coverage gaps along all railway lines in long-distance and regional services are to be eliminated.

Both companies have agreed that Deutsche Telekom is to build out its mobile communications network along DB’s railway lines, close any gaps, and significantly increase its network’s performance. Together, the two companies are investing a sum in the hundreds of millions in order to achieve this goal.

“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. This will make rail travel even more attractive. I am very proud that we have made this ground-breaking agreement with Deutsche Telekom,“ said Richard Lutz, Chairman of the Management Board of Deutsche Bahn.

"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," added Timotheus Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom.

The agreed collaboration on mobile network coverage is a milestone for both companies. Nearly all passengers already make use of the internet while on the train. Greatly improved mobile reception is needed for even more people to travel by train. Having more comfort on board is a driver for the mobility transformation and therefore a contribution to climate protection.

DT will specifically provide DB’s entire rail network with gap-free coverage in its mobile communications network by the end of 2026. The planned investments will be made to build out many routes by 2024 and will be finished on all routes by the end of 2026. Passengers on a number of regional routes will then have reception for the very first time.

DB’s rail network covers a total of 33,400 kilometers, 7,800 kilometers of which are major routes which are used by all ICE trains as well as main IC trains. DT wants to supply these routes with data rates of more than 200 Mbit/s by the end of 2024. They also aim to supply the same data rate by the end of 2025 on another 13,800 kilometers of heavily-traveled routes. On all other routes, DT aims to provide a data rate of more than 100 Mbit/s by the end of 2026.