Regions Advocate for Universal Roaming Across the Nation
The German Association of Towns and Municipalities is advocating for national roaming to address lingering coverage gaps in the country's mobile network. This would enable users to automatically switch to another network when their current one is unavailable, regardless of their mobile provider. President Achim Broetel expresses this idea as, "If we could ensure you have mobile network coverage with a Telekom contract even in the Vodafone area, despite carrying a different provider's contract, it would be a significant leap forward."
Currently, as reported by the German Federal Network Agency, around 2.2% of the nation's area is devoid of mobile providers offering fast 4G or 5G service. Approximately 14.2% of the area has at least one provider but not complete coverage. A negligible 0.2% of the nation's area remains entirely without any mobile coverage, even basic 2G service.
In light of these statistics, Broetel draws a parallel with wireless network behavior abroad. For instance, when traveling in Italy, a mobile device will automatically connect to a local network. "The difference is it works abroad and not in Germany," Broetel mentioned, expressing his frustration with the lack of progress on this matter in Germany.
Deutsche Telekom's Opposition
However, Deutsche Telekom voiced their disagreement to this initiative. A representative stated, "National roaming can only potentially benefit gray spots," referring to areas with limited but available mobile service. In essence, competitors may take advantage of such arrangements, forfeiting their own network expansions.
Furthermore, the spokeswoman indicated that bureaucratic requirements related to national roaming could hinder investments in network expansion. Bemoaning potential negative consequences, she stated, "The improvements to existing networks would significantly decrease, as there would be no expected positive effects from these investments on the providers' revenues." Over time, national roaming could even exacerbate coverage problems, particularly in rural areas.
Instead, Deutsche Telekom emphasizes the role of municipalities in supporting mobile network operators in sourcing suitable locations for network infrastructure. Providing adequate municipal land plots could significantly streamline the search for mast locations, the spokeswoman concluded.
The Commission has expressed support for the idea proposed by Achim Broetel, advocating for national roaming to resolve persistent coverage gaps in Germany's mobile network. However, Deutsche Telekom opposes this initiative, arguing that national roaming could potentially benefit only gray spots and may hinder investments in network expansion due to bureaucratic requirements.
