First 5G standalone data connection in Germany successful

The call could be carried out without interruption in a pure 5G environment. The call was made via the standalone antenna in Garching to Bamberg in Telekom’s first 5G standalone core network and from there to Bonn. In addition to the stable data connection, very low latency was realized in the live network. In Garching, the response time was 13 milliseconds. These will be further reduced in the future as part of network optimizations.

“True technical innovation is made up of implementation strength and pioneering spirit. Telekom has clearly demonstrated both with 5G. More than two-thirds of people in Germany can already use Telekom’s 5G network today,” said Walter Goldenits, CTO of Telekom Deutschland. “And the next step has also been taken. With our first data connection via 5G Standalone, we are making history again. As the first network operator in Germany.”

The 5G technology currently deployed in Germany is based on the 5G Non-Standalone (5G NSA) network architecture. This means that today’s 5G offerings are still technically dependent on a simultaneously available 4G network (LTE). With 5G Standalone, the infrastructure in the core network will also be fully upgraded to a new, cloud-based 5G architecture. This further development of 5G is the prerequisite for new application possibilities.

“Our goal is to continue to actively shape the future of mobile communications. 5G standalone is important to be able to use technologies such as network slicing or edge computing,” says Claudia Nemat, Board Member Technology and Innovation at Telekom. “We are very proud to have taken the next innovation step in 5G. With this test, we are once again demonstrating our innovation leadership.”