Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica and Vodafone all claim to have largely met the coverage obligations.
The Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA) which regulates the telecoms industry says it will now review evidence from mobile operators. The regulator says that operators have made significant improvements in recent months to improve coverage, including setting up temporary mobile sites. However, the BNetzA says some gaps still remain.
Mobile operators are required to provide coverage with speeds of at least 100 Mbps for 98% of households and major roads. These requirements are tied to spectrum licences awarded to the operators during the 2019 spectrum auction.
Mobile operators claim they have fulfilled household coverage requirements while some transport route requirements are still outstanding. Operators cite delays in receiving building permits and nature conservation requirements as reasons for delays.
“We are checking the reports very closely and will also be conducting measurements in the field to determine whether the coverage notified is actually available. If the coverage requirements have not been met, we will impose any sanctions at our disposal,” said Klaus Müller, President of the Bundesnetzagentur.
