Rock-Solid Network Coverage, but a Couple of Hiccups in NRW
current hour 06.06.2025 10:35 - valid until 06.06.2027 - our website
Thousands of radio frequency leakages reported in North Rhine-Westphalia during mobile phone week
By Martina K O C H
Let's talk mobile network coverage in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). The recent mobile measurement week has shed some light on a few issues. But there's a silver lining, ya'll!
Gotta Love Those Participants
Nearly 37,000 users jumped on the bandwagon for the mobile measurement week and pointed out some network dead zones. The Ministry of Economics reported the number of poor network coverage cases at a total of 112,200 on Friday.
From Shaky to Slightly Stable
On the bright side, the people of NRW reported around 33 million measurement points, with only a teensy 0.34% of these points showing no network coverage. This percentage is a vast improvement compared to the 0.7% recorded in 2024. Booyah! We're talkin' improved network coverage, with a whopping increase to 98.54%, whereas the previous year's value hovered around the 96.9% mark.
Phone Network Operators Ain't Perfect
But don't get too excited - coverage means that the area is served by at least one of the four network operators. If you've got a contract with one of the other three, you might still find yourself in a tight spot.
Mapping the Network
Wanna see where the network's gotta get its act together? The Federal Network Agency has a sweet interactive map. You can find problem spots in the network specifically, with filters for available technologies (2G, 4G, 5G, mobile broadband) and mobile network providers (Telekom, Vodafone, Telefónica, 1&1 including Vodafone roaming).
White Spots Galore
Prepare to be unimpressed. The map highlights numerous "white spots" all over NRW - areas just begging for a strong network signal. Examples include the border area with Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as regions like the Eifel, Siegerland, and Sauerland.
Citizen Power!
User-generated data from the mobile network measurement week was an invaluable supplement to data provided by network operators. That data flowed into the Federal Network Agency's dead zone map, giving citizens a voice in improving their network situation.
Factors to Consider
But remember, crowdsourcing ain't perfect. The Federal Network Agency points out that the data depends on users' devices and contractual modalities, and someone with an older smartphone might miss out on 5G network assessment opportunities. Plus, factors like weather, location, and even terrain can affect signal strength during the measurement week. So take all that into account when reading the crowdsourced data.
A Nationwide Effort
NRW was the third location to participate in the mobile network measurement week. This time, the initiative went nationwide, with 37,000 people in NRW and a total of 153,000 participation across Germany. Citizens installed a broadband measurement app and diligently collected network data.
Taking Action
NRW's Minister of Economics, Mona Neubaur, deserves a shoutout for thanking all the participants. She acknowledged that the initiative helped identify problems and promised swift action to address them. The "Measure your network" initiative was supported this year by several federal ministries, all federal states, and municipalities.
Stay tuned for more updates on this issue in our web radio news on Friday.
[1] Data from the official federal network agency website.[4] Information from digital infrastructure programs launched by the German government.[5] Details on the floating photovoltaics initiative in NRW.
In the digital realm, the latest data-and-cloud-computing technology aids in analyzing the improved network coverage in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), as evidenced by the recent mobile network measurement week's findings. The data highlighted an impressive 98.54% coverage, marking a significant increase compared to the previous year, with news of further improvements in network coverage still on the horizon.
