Signing a Cell Phone Contract: 5G technology is almost never decisive

Berlin. The fifth generation of mobile communications, 5G, does not yet play a major role for most consumers when entering into a cell phone contract. This appears from a survey conducted by the comparison portal Check24, available to the German editorial network (RND). According to this, just under one in six or one in six (15.8 percent) booked a mobile phone contract with 5G last year. This was shown by all Sim-only definitions obtained via Check24 in 2023. The portal wrote that the percentage is increasing. However, many continued to choose cheaper mobile tariffs mostly with older generation mobile phone standards.

5G technology has slowly become more important over the past year, said Manuel Sieckman, managing director of mobile communications at Check24. For many customers, the latest generation of mobile communications standards does not seem to be the deciding factor when booking. However, many cheaper offers have been added to the 5G network, so the share will gradually rise, he expects.

5G expansion continues to advance

5G technology is more popular in big cities than in rural areas. 17.3 percent of customers in Berlin booked the 5G version, and in Hamburg the percentage was 17.2 percent. It was booked less frequently (12.9 percent) in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Regarding service providers, according to the survey, Telekom with its 5G tariffs is the most popular, followed by Vodafone, the new 1&1 network and Telefónica.

The Federal Network Agency recently reported that the expansion of 5G networks will make strong progress in 2023. 5G coverage by at least one network operator has increased to 90 percent of the country. A year ago, the percentage was about 79 percent. In order to use the 5G variant, consumers must have a 5G-enabled device and a suitable contract.