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Check network coverage - this is how it works

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Check network coverage - this is how it works

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How to test network coverage
Understand network coverage

LTE or just 3G? How good is your cell phone reception really? You can easily check this yourself..

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Image: <span> Shutterstock / Juan Aunion </span>

The large network providers Vodafone, Telekom and O2 / E-Plus are not equally easy to reach in all regions. So before you decide on a provider or if your reception just doesn't seem sufficient, you can check the respective network coverage online.

How to test network coverage

You will find the network coverage maps for the three major mobile network providers below:

Telecom

On this map, you can select the different generations of cellular networks and even search for your current location for an accurate view of the situation. You can find it here: https://www.telekom.de/start/netzausbau .

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Vodafone

The network map from Vodafone shows you exactly how fast the mobile Internet is. With the help of the legend you can easily read off the speeds. You can find the map here: https://www.vodafone.de/hilfe/netzhaben.html ..

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O2 / E-Plus

If you search for your current location on this map, you will find information about the reception of the various network generations both outdoors and indoors. The map can be found here: https://www.o2online.de/service/netzhaben/ .

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Understand network coverage

In the following we explain some terms that you should be familiar with in connection with network coverage:

  • Download Speed : The speed at which data is transferred from the source to your mobile device. Some examples of features that are affected by download speed: streaming songs or videos, surfing the Internet and receiving WhatsApp messages.
  • Upload speed : Upload speed is the speed at which data can be transferred from a user's mobile device to the Internet. For most consumers, download speed may be more important than upload speed, but those who want to upload content like social media posts quickly will appreciate it.
  • Latency : Refers to the delay between the time the information emerges on the transmission side of the network and the time it arrives on a mobile device.
  • 2G, 3G, 4G & 5G : The generation of mobile networks. The G stands for generation and the higher the number, the more current the generation. 5G was recently launched in Germany - and the new network promises much faster upload speeds (especially in crowded areas), but more research is needed on the current coverage level.
  • Geographical coverage : The degree of coverage over the entire land mass of Germany.
  • Population Coverage : The percentage of Germany's residents who have sufficient signal to connect to a particular cellular network.
  • Availability : The proportion of time in which mobile network users experience a certain connection level in the network of a mobile network operator. In contrast to geographic or population-based coverage, availability measures how often users can access a particular network, e.g. the 4G network.
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