Vodafone and Telefonica Deutschland have agreed to launch a pilot project to connect their mobile sites to each other’s fibre-optic lines. Beginning in July, the first 100 shared or neighbouring mobile sites will be connected to the companies’ respective fibre networks.
Mobile networks performance will improve thanks to the additional fibre backhaul, given the higher capacities and shorter latency times, said Telefonica. More mobile customers will have access to LTE data coverage at the same time and also benefit from improved network quality. The companies said they will install fibre cables to base stations in equal parts for shared mobile locations that are not yet connected, while connections for the other network will be created on site at existing fibre connections so far used by only one of the operators. Technical equipment will ensure data traffic remain separated.
Should the pilot project prove successful, Vodafone and Telefonica said they may expand their cooperation to additional locations throughout Germany. This cooperation could also serve as a building block for future efforts to prepare mobile networks for 5G technology and thus enable future applications like autonomous driving, said the two companies. The German Federal Cartel Office and the Federal Network Agency, the national telecoms regulator, will be notified of the cooperation.
The two companies have also reached an agreement on 3.5 GHz frequencies through 2021. Telefonica Germany sold Vodafone 42 MHz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz frequency range that was no longer in use. Telefonica will continue to hold a 42 MHz spectrum block in this range following the sale. The two operators agreed not to disclose the financial terms of their transaction. Vodafone will be permitted to use its newly acquired spectrum until the rights of use granted by the Federal Network Agency expiring in 2021.
