Vodafone - Germany
Vodafone (Germany) uses 2 GSM bands, 8 LTE bands, and 4 5G NR bands. Find out if your unlocked phone or mobile device will work with Vodafone (Germany). See the tables below for details.
Check device compatibilityCarrier website: http://www.vodafone.de
Last updated: 2024/08/04 - See latest updates
Vodafone Germany, a subsidiary of Vodafone Group, is a significant telecommunications operator in Germany, providing a wide range of services including mobile phone, LTE, 5G, cable internet, landlines, cable TV, and IPTV. As of the third quarter of 2021, it had over 31 million mobile customers, making it the third-largest provider of mobile phone services in Germany.
Key Points About Vodafone Germany's Mobile Network:
- Coverage and Services: Vodafone Germany's network serves both prepaid and postpaid customers on GSM and LTE (Long Term Evolution) technologies. The company started providing 5G services in July 2019.
- 5G Network: As of the end of 2023, Vodafone Germany's 5G network reached 91% of the country's population. The 5G Standalone (SA) network currently serves nearly 45% of the German population, with plans to achieve nationwide coverage by 2025.
- Infrastructure Expansion: In 2023, Vodafone Germany completed around 6,200 construction projects to improve network capacities and close dead spots. The company also focused on expanding its network along railway tracks, building 225 new mobile phone masts near tracks to enhance coverage for rail passengers.
- Technology Partnerships: Vodafone Germany has partnered with various technology companies, including Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm, and Oppo, to support the expansion of its 5G network. The company has also initiated pilot projects for open 5G radio access networks (O-RAN) in several locations, including rural Bavaria.
- Competitive Landscape: Vodafone Germany competes with other major mobile operators in Germany, including 1&1 Mobilfunk, Telekom Deutschland (Deutsche Telekom's German private customer unit), and Telefónica Germany.
Overall, Vodafone Germany continues to invest in expanding and improving its mobile network infrastructure to provide high-speed and reliable services to its customers.
Frequency Bands
GSM
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 900 MHz (E-GSM) | GSM | Vodafone Germany uses the E-GSM-900 frequency band, which operates on the 880 MHz to 915 MHz range for the uplink and 925 MHz to 960 MHz range for the downlink. This band is widely used in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. |
| 1800 MHz (DCS) | GSM | Vodafone Germany uses the GSM 1800 MHz (DCS) frequency band, which operates within the 1.8 GHz frequency band. The frequency ranges for GSM 1800 are: Uplink: 1710–1785 MHz; Downlink: 1805–1880 MHz. This band offers reduced signal interference and greater channel availability compared to the more crowded 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands used by GSM. It provides services such as voice communication, text messaging (SMS), and basic data communications, similar to GSM. The band is known for its efficient use of the 1.8 GHz band through modulation schemes like Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS). |
Supported GSM Protocols
| Name | Generation |
|---|---|
| GPRS | 2.5G |
| EDGE | 2.5G |
LTE
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| B7 (2600 MHz) | LTE | Vodafone Germany uses LTE band 7 (2600 MHz). This frequency band was deployed in 2010. |
| B20 (800 MHz DD) | LTE | Vodafone Germany uses LTE B20 (800 MHz DD) for its network deployments. This frequency band is particularly known for its wide area coverage and deep penetration, making it suitable for regional and rural environments, as well as in-building coverage. It supports carrier aggregation with other bands to enhance bandwidth and performance. The 800 MHz band is also popular for IoT applications like eMTC (LTE Cat M1) and NB-IoT (LTE Cat NB1) due to its wide coverage characteristics. |
| B1 (2100 MHz) | LTE | Vodafone Germany uses LTE band B1 (2100 MHz). The deployment of this band is not specified. |
| B3 (1800 MHz +) | LTE | Vodafone Germany uses the LTE frequency band B3 (1800 MHz +). This band was deployed in December 2010, when Vodafone commercially launched its first LTE network in rural areas and began rolling out the network in metropolitan areas in late 2011. |
| B8 (900 MHz) | LTE | Vodafone Germany uses LTE band B8, which operates at 900 MHz. This frequency band was deployed in Germany as part of the LTE network. |
| B28 (700 MHz APT) | LTE | Vodafone Germany uses LTE Band 28 (700 MHz APT) for its 4G LTE network. This frequency band operates between 703 MHz and 803 MHz, supporting channel bandwidths of 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz. The band is known for its excellent propagation characteristics, allowing signals to penetrate buildings and cover larger geographic areas with less infrastructure. It is also utilized for public safety communications, particularly in the United States, managed by the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet). |
| B32 (1500 MHz L-band) | LTE | Vodafone Germany uses LTE band B32, which operates in the 1500 MHz L-band. The deployment of this frequency band is not specified in the provided information. |
| B38 (TD 2600 MHz) | LTE | Vodafone Germany uses LTE band B38, which operates in the 2600 MHz frequency range. This band is part of the Time Division Duplex (TDD) technology. |
Supported LTE Protocols
| Name | Generation |
|---|---|
| LTE | 4G |
5G NR
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| N1 (2100 MHz) | 5G NR | Vodafone Germany uses the 5G NR N1 frequency band, which spans from 1920 to 2170 MHz. This band is commonly referred to as the 2.1 GHz 5G band. The n1 band is known for its excellent range and building penetration due to its propagation characteristics, and it is supported by advanced processing techniques. |
| N3 (1800 MHz) | 5G NR | Vodafone Germany uses the 5G NR N3 frequency band, which spans 1710 to 1880 MHz. This band is commonly referred to as the 1.8 GHz 5G band. It is known for its excellent range and building penetration, making it suitable for large-scale 5G coverage in urban areas. The deployment of this frequency band began in 2020, with the first city to receive the 'mid-band' treatment being the first to get the 1800MHz 5G rollout. |
| N28 (700 MHz) | 5G NR | Vodafone Germany uses the 5G NR N28 frequency band, which covers the 703 to 803 MHz range. This band is particularly useful for providing wide area coverage and is suitable for use in rural areas due to its long transmission range. The deployment of this frequency band supports Vodafone's efforts to enhance its 5G network, aiming to reach nationwide coverage by 2025. |
| N78 (3500 MHz) | 5G NR | Vodafone Germany uses the 5G NR frequency band n78, which operates at 3500 MHz. This band is used for TDD (Time Division Duplex) mode and covers the frequency range from 3300 to 3800 MHz. The most popular channel width for fully deployed n78 5G networks is 100 MHz. Vodafone Germany has deployed this band to enhance its 5G coverage, particularly in urban areas, by leveraging advanced technologies such as massive MIMO and beam-forming to improve signal strength and penetration. |
Latest updates
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency UMTS B1 (2100 MHz) removed from Vodafone Germany.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency LTE B1 (2100 MHz) added to Vodafone Germany.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency LTE B3 (1800 MHz +) added to Vodafone Germany.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency LTE B8 (900 MHz) added to Vodafone Germany.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency LTE B28 (700 MHz APT) added to Vodafone Germany.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency LTE B32 (1500 MHz L-band) added to Vodafone Germany.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency LTE B38 (TD 2600 MHz) added to Vodafone Germany.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency 5G NR N1 (2100 MHz) added to Vodafone Germany.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency 5G NR N3 (1800 MHz) added to Vodafone Germany.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency 5G NR N28 (700 MHz) added to Vodafone Germany.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency 5G NR N78 (3500 MHz) added to Vodafone Germany.
