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More than half of Germans regularly experience bad mobile coverage

A recent survey shows that 53 percent of Germans often encounter network failures or interrupted connections, particularly on motorways and trains.

The words
The words "No network" can be seen on the screen of a mobile phone. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Karl-Josef Hildenbrand

Although Germany’s mobile communications companies regularly report progress in their network expansion, a recent survey has shown that mobile phone users still see network dead zones as a serious problem.

READ ALSO: German mobile networks improve coverage in signal ‘dead zones’

In a representative survey carried out by comparison portal Verivox, 53 percent of respondents said they had to deal with network failures or interrupted connections “often” or “very often”.

A majority of people said they were aggravated by poor connections on trains and motorways, with 62 percent of commuters reporting frequent network service interruptions.

Responding the results of the survey, Jens-Uwe Theumer, Vice President of Telecommunications at Verivox, said: “Traffic routes are the Achilles’ heel of the German mobile network. Even in 2022, many kilometres of the rail and road network routes still have gaps in coverage, especially in sparsely populated rural areas.”

By the end of 2022, 100mpbs downloads should be available via mobile phone networks along motorways and along busy rail traffic lines in Germany. 

However, this deadline will not apply in places where mobile network providers are unable to obtain land for a cellular tower or are not allowed to erect one – for example, because of a nature reserve.

READ ALSO: ‘We’re running late on this’: Deutsche Bahn promises better Wifi on German trains by 2026

According to a paper published by the Federal Network Agency based on data from January, all three domestic network operators – Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica (O2) – have a long way to go with regard to network expansion along transport routes.

According to the report, the coverage range on autobahns lies between 93 and 99 percent, and only 90 to 96 percent of the routes on the most important federal highways. On railway routes, the coverage range is between 92 and 97 percent.

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TRANSPORT

Hit by worker shortage, German city gets students to drive trams

Seated before the tram's control panel, Benedikt Hanne, 24, deftly steered the red and white wagons, hours before heading to Nuremberg university to study for a social work degree.

Hit by worker shortage, German city gets students to drive trams

As an apprentice, Hanne was watched closely by a trainer, and the tram he drove had no passengers.

But if all goes well, he will soon become a fully-fledged tram driver moving people across Nuremberg in the evenings or at weekends, when he does not have classes to attend.

Squeezed by a serious manpower shortage, public transport operators like Nuremberg’s city service VAG have had to find new sources to expand their pool of workers.

The VAG needs to recruit 160 new drivers annually to run its metro, trams and buses.

For Harald Ruben, who heads the company’s recruitment and training team, it was clear that “we won’t reach this target unless we explore all possible possibilities”.

The transport company put out an advert targeted at university students, offering a part-time job to drive trams outside school hours.

To qualify, they need a regular driver’s licence, be above 21 years of age, and be “reliable and suitable for driving and shift work”.

Many sectors in Germany, like other European countries, are suffering from a serious manpower shortage which is expected to worsen unless urgent measures are taken.

Public transport operators have warned they may have to reduce the number of buses, trams or metros as tens of thousands of jobs are expected to remain vacant in the coming years.

The worker gap has led public transport employees across the country to go on strike in the last weeks to underline their plight, with union Verdi
warning of deteriorating conditions.

Benedikt Hanne, a student of social work at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), sits in the driver's cab of a tram simulator on the maintenance depot of Nuremberg's public transport company VAG

Benedikt Hanne sits in the driver’s cab of a tram simulator on the maintenance depot of Nuremberg’s public transport company VAG in Nuremberg, southern Germany, on March 21, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Karmann / AFP)

Many operators are reporting up to 20 to 30 percent unfilled posts, with shortages contributing to a vicious circle of overworked employees who are then falling ill, exacerbating the situation.

Other German cities like Mannheim and Munich have also begun tapping students as potential part-timers to fill public transport gaps.

‘Really cool’ 

Hanne never thought he would be driving a tram, until a few weeks back, when he spotted the VAG ad.

He applied immediately, he said, and became one of five recruited. In all, the VAG received 36 applicants.

Dressed in the red and blue uniform of the company, the apprentice drivers are put through an accelerated four-week course that is held during school holidays.

After several hours of theory lessons, the trainees practise on a tram simulator, before moving on to a real tram.

They are also expected to take on extra homework to make up for the accelerated pace of the course, which is half the length of regular training.

After passing a driving test and several days accompanied by a trainer, Hanne will be driving a tram alone for 20 hours a week.

Hanne, whose previous part-time jobs included working at a gas station, said he is unfazed about juggling university courses and work.

“If I can choose, I’d prefer to drive the tram before going to university, so that the day ends with classes,” he said, adding however that he wants “to also work at other times of the day to see different people and situations”.

“It’s just a great feeling, to have all these wagons behind you,” said Hanne.

“My classmates find it really cool, my family too. They’ll catch my tram some day, that’s for sure.”

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