Telefónica Deutschland and Samsung Test 5G Fixed Wireless Access in Germany

Trials with 20 households in Hamburg start in November 2018

Telefónica Deutschland and Samsung Electronics have agreed to run 20 Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) trials in Germany. Immediately after installation, up to 20 households in Hamburg will test the Gigabit technology in Germany from November over a period of three months.

Specifically, Samsung will support the set-up of the trial with a complete end-to-end millimeter wave (26 GHz) solution. The combination of newly developed hardware technology with special software enables fast transfer rates of several Gigabits per second across the so-called “last mile.” Essentially, the technology consists of the following components: A virtual core and a 5G radio access unit on the part of Telefónica, and 5G outdoor-unit and indoor routers for the customers.

With this trial, Telefónica and Samsung are road-testing an attractive alternative to current technologies in Germany. The aim of the trial is to show that households and businesses can be supplied with high-quality Gigabit connections for an optimal customer experience without the need for laying of fiber-optic cables.

“For the first time, Telefónica Deutschland and Samsung are working hand in hand in Germany on the introduction of 5G in connection with FWA,” says Cayetano Carbajo Martín, CTO of Telefónica Deutschland. “At Telefónica Deutschland, we are confident that this trial will not only demonstrate the technical feasibility of Fixed Wireless Access in Germany, but will also provide a better network experience with regard to future technologies.”

“5G FWA is a promising, fast-to-market and cost-effective way to bring Giga-speed broadband to people across the country, and a viable alternative where fiber deployment is not feasible,” says GY Seo, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Sales & Marketing Team, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are pleased to work with Telefónica in delivering its first 5G FWA trial. This partnership allows us to respond to user demands and explore compelling connected service opportunities in Germany.”

About Telefónica Deutschland

Telefónica Deutschland offers telecommunications services for private and business customers, as well as innovative digital products and services in the fields of the Internet of Things and data analytics. With a total of 49.4 million customer connections (as of 30 June 2018), the company is one of the leading integrated telecommunications providers in Germany. In the mobile segment alone, Telefónica Deutschland is responsible for more than 45.2 million connections – no other domestic network operator connects more people. By 2022, the company aims to become the “Mobile Customer & Digital Champion”, meaning the preferred partner for customers in the German mobile service market that allows them mobile freedom in the digital world. Through its core brand O2 and various secondary and partner brands, the company sells postpaid and prepaid mobile telecommunications products including innovative mobile data services. The basis for this is a mobile service network based on a high-performance GSM, UMTS and LTE infrastructure. Telefónica Deutschland also provides telephony and high-speed internet products, such as VDSL, in the fixed network field. Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG has been listed in the Prime Standard on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (TecDAX) since 2012. In the 2017 financial year, the company generated revenue of EUR 7.3 billion with almost 9,300 employees. The company is majority owned by the Spanish telecommunications group Telefónica S.A., headquartered in Madrid. With a presence in 21 countries and a customer base of almost 350 million connections, the group is one of the world’s biggest telecommunications providers.