5G network: Majority of mobile phone customers do not use 5G

Although 5G is now available in most areas of Germany, the use of the fast and stable mobile communications standard is only increasing moderately. In a survey commissioned by the comparison portal Verivox in February, 45.1 percent of respondents said they had already used 5G. In the same survey a year earlier it was 40.1 percent. During the same period, coverage increased significantly.

Mobile operators are pushing ahead with their network expansion; 5G mobile phone connections are now available in well over 90 percent of Germany.

The current survey shows that interest in 5G is greater the younger the users are: According to the information, the 5G usage rate in the 18 to 29 age group was recently 58.7 percent. Among those over 70, only 27.4 percent.

Older smartphones, more expensive tariffs

One reason for the rather small increase in demand is probably that older smartphones are not compatible. 5G network use will remain “far below its potential” in 2024, said Verivox telecommunications expert Jörg Schamberg. “If you want to surf over 5G, you need a corresponding smartphone and a 5G-compatible tariff. Both components are often comparatively expensive.”

The three established network operators Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica (O2) and Vodafone have now automatically included 5G in the tariff for their core brands, but it often costs an extra charge for secondary brands such as Congstar and discounters.

Limited speed outside core brands

However, the download speed is reduced for these separate 5G offers outside the core brands, for example to 50 megabits per second for Congstar. The speed limit undermines a key advantage of the radio standard – up to 1,000 megabits per second are actually technically possible. However, this is less realistic, as the speed depends on various factors, including the number of users in a radio cell. Vodafone, for example, advertises a transfer speed of up to 300 megabits per second.

The survey by market research company Innofact on behalf of Verivox was conducted online in February and said 1,028 people aged 18 to 79 were surveyed. The question was: “Have you used this 5G network before?” According to the information, the survey was representative of the German population in terms of age, gender and federal state affiliation.

Although 5G is now available in most areas of Germany, the use of the fast and stable mobile communications standard is only increasing moderately. In a survey commissioned by the comparison portal Verivox in February, 45.1 percent of respondents said they had already used 5G. In the same survey a year earlier it was 40.1 percent. During the same period, coverage increased significantly.

Mobile operators are pushing ahead with their network expansion; 5G mobile phone connections are now available in well over 90 percent of Germany.

SOURCE