German mobile network operator 1&1 AG, based in Montabaur, has followed Rakuten in Japan and DISH Network in the U.S. with the launch of Europe’s first OpenRAN mobile network on December 28. The company claims that its network is the world’s first cloud-based OpenRAN system that uses 4G and 5G technology.
OpenRAN network architecture is based on open, standardized interfaces that allow a combination of network elements from a variety of manufacturers. The 1&1 network uses servers from DELL and Supermicro, routers from Cisco, software from Rakuten, Mavenir and Altiostar, and antennas from NEC and Communications Components. All 1&1 radio sites are equipped with gigabit antennas and have dedicated fiber optic connections to regional edge data centers that are operating standard servers. Short distances between antennas and edge data centers ensure very low latency and real-time capability throughout the network.
“The commissioning of our OpenRAN network underscores our position as pioneers who now provide evidence in Germany that the world’s most modern network technology is fully functional,” notes 1&1 AG CEO Ralph Dommermuth. In addition to the first three antenna sites being activated in Frankfurt am Main and Karlsruhe, construction of another 50 sites in Hamburg, Essen, Düsseldorf, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Munich, and Freiburg have been completed and the facilities will gradually begin operation in the next few weeks.
Following network testing since August, 1&1 launched “1&1 5G at Home,” a 1 Gbps fixed wireless access broadband service that replaces conventional DSL, cable internet or fiber to the home. Smartphone mobile rate plans will follow in the summer and coincide with the scheduled provision of national roaming services by Telefónica.
After last year’s supply chain delays impacted its lead vendors, 1&1 restructured its rollout process and now expects the steady addition of new antenna sites. So far, 235 sites are under construction, and the first interim target of 1,000 5G sites that were to be activated by the end of 2022 should be reached by mid-2023.
As part of its 5G spectrum deployment commitments, 1&1 was obliged to deploy at least 1,000 base stations by the end of 2022. The 1&1 network must reach at least 25 percent of German households by the end of 2025, and at least 50 percent by year-end 2030.
“Despite delays in recent months, we still want to meet our obligation to cover 50 percent of all [German] households by the end of 2030, ahead of schedule”, adds Dommermuth. “We expect to achieve this goal by commissioning about 12,600 radio masts and more than 500 regional data centers.”
In December, the company’s 1&1 Towers subsidiary contracted with Eubanet for the acquisition of up to 7,500 new 5G antenna locations. In April, 1&1 established tower lease agreements for up to 5,000 sites with Vantage Towers and access to 15,000 towers from ATC Germany, an American Tower subsidiary. In September, 1&1 placed an initial order of 500 new sites with GfTD.
Each site typically will have a lease term of 20 years with multiple renewal options.
Through a long-term partnership agreement, Rakuten Group will serve as general contractor to build 1&1’s mobile network in Germany and will be responsible for the overall network performance. A 1&1 affiliate, Versatel, is in charge of connecting the radio sites to Germany’s available fiber optic networks.
1&1, part of the United Internet AG group, is the fourth German MNO behind Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica, and aims to establish the first European-wide fully virtualized mobile network based on OpenRAN technology. While the 1&1 brand addresses value and premium segments, the Group’s discount brands appeal to price-conscious target groups.
By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor
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