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Germany Maps Remaining Mobile Dead Zones as Study Finds 2% of Land Lacks 4G/5G

Officials plan targeted fixes in hard-to-build forests and border regions, but they have not decided on funding or set deadlines.

Overview

  • Despite 99.9% household coverage, more than 28,000 households still lack reliable mobile broadband, according to the federal analysis.
  • Roughly 23,500 white-spot areas remain nationwide, the vast majority smaller than one square kilometer, with 47 larger than 20 square kilometers.
  • The unserved area is concentrated in the south and southwest, with Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg leading by both area and affected households, at about 7,200 and 8,000 respectively.
  • About 82–83% of gaps lie in forested terrain, with additional hurdles from mountains, protected areas, limited power and access roads, and cross‑border coordination needs.
  • The ministry will prioritize closures using the new map and is exploring framework contracts with state forests, while the economic costs of outages are cited and decisions on subsidies and permitting changes remain open.