Vodafone Germany Switches to Standalone 5G Nationwide

Vodafone Germany finished deploying its standalone 5G network. The operator promotes the technology, saying it provides higher-quality connectivity for applications such as mobile gaming and augmented reality.

The company added that its network covers 90% of the country’s population. Vodafone upgraded more than 16,000 mobile masts to support what it brands as 5G+. To access the network, users must use a supporting handset. Vodafone claims that using 5G, which doesn’t have to resort to the previous LTE technology, allows users to enjoy lag-free mobile gaming and high-resolution VR/AR applications.

The operator noted the high bandwidth and latency times of less than 10 milliseconds mean that data is transferred as quickly as the human nervous system and can react four times faster than previous mobile communications technologies. Vodafone Germany CEO Marcel de Groot added SA 5G brings higher bandwidths, shorter response times, and connects up to ten times more sensors.

The operator switched on its first commercial SA 5G sites in 2021 and had originally targeted 2023 for deployment across its footprint. All of Vodafone’s mobile masts will continue to employ a mixed mode mechanism to enable simultaneous standalone and non-standalone 5G variants.