Deutsche Bahn has completed a comprehensive technical upgrade that is intended to significantly improve mobile phone reception for train passengers in Germany. Since the timetable change on December 15, 2024, only railway vehicles with interference-resistant GSM-R terminals are allowed to travel on the rail network. This measure affects over 10.000 locomotives, multiple units and control cars that have been equipped with new radio technology. The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) funded the upgrade with 95 million euros.
The trains' previous GSM-R radios used a frequency spectrum that is close to the 900 MHz band of public mobile communications. This led to interference and restrictions, as mobile operators were unable to use their LTE 900 MHz infrastructure along the railway lines without restrictions. By replacing the old, interference-prone devices with new, interference-resistant modules, mobile network operators can now use the 900 MHz band without the previous restrictions. This enables better mobile coverage along the railway lines, with a capacity increase of up to 50 Mbit/s per cell and operator.
Federal Digital Minister Volker Wissing emphasized the importance of this development: "Thanks to the conversion to the interference-resistant GSM-R railway radio, mobile network operators can now include frequencies that could previously only be used to a limited extent." Markus Haas, CEO of Telefónica Deutschland (O2), spoke of a "breakthrough for improved mobile phone coverage of railways in Germany." The measure is expected to benefit millions of passengers and significantly increase network quality and surfing speeds during train journeys.
In addition to the technical upgrade of the radio devices, Deutsche Bahn is working on reducing the physical barriers to mobile phone signals in trains. Since materials such as metal and special window coatings shield mobile phone signals, more permeable windows are being used in new ICE trains. In existing trains, the coating on the windows is being processed using laser technology to reduce signal shielding. These measures are intended to further improve mobile phone reception inside the train.