"Berlin is already much further advanced in comparison with the other federal states and is ahead of the city states," said the Senate in response to a CDU question. The plan is to have complete 5G coverage of all households, companies and roads by 2025 at the latest. According to the data, Berlin has an area coverage with 5G of 61 per cent. It is followed by Hamburg with 57 per cent and Bremen with 33 per cent. Saxony is in the lead among the territorial states with 17 per cent.

The expansion for a new generation of mobile communications is usually a process that takes years, it was added. In Berlin, there are more than 3000 locations with mobile phone antennas. Each of the three large radio network operators in Berlin, Telekom, Telefonica, Vodafone, would have to re-equip or partly re-set up about 1000 mobile phone sites. In the underground network, they are not yet ready, the Senate said. "The 5G mobile expansion in the Berlin underground has not yet begun." However, the expansion of LTE coverage by all network operators will soon be completed there, which means that the prerequisites for 5G will also be in place.