As Telefónica O2 Germany announced today, the Munich-based carrier is starting the live operation of its HSPA+ data network (which we were able to test before) in an urban area of Munich (Center and western part of Munich as well as around the Marienplatz). The kick-off will be tomorrow, 3 November 2009. HSPA+ enables download rates of up to 28 Mbps and upload rates of up to 5.76 Mbps. The network technology and the surfstick will be provided by O2's partner Huawei Technologies. During the initial phase, signed O2 customers who work or live in the city and the western urban area of Munich will be able to test the new mobile broadband internet.

Signed O2 customers will receive a stick from Huawei and the required mobile data flat rate and until 31 December 2009 no additional costs will accrue to these customers.

"The mobile web is growing rapidly with more and more customers using mobile applications. We are one of the first companies worldwide to offer our customers a completely new mobile internet experience with HSPA+", says René Schuster, CEO Telefónica O2 Germany. "With this technology, we are taking a big step forward into the future."

O2 is now operating one of the most modern mobile data networks in Europe. "In the last couple of years, we invested about € 3.5 billion in our network infrastructures and the Connect Netztest 2009 (network test 2009 by the magazine connect) only recently endorsed the high quality of the O2 mobile network both in terms of telephony and the mobile internet", said Andrea Folgueiras, CTO Telefónica O2 Germany.

Huawei and O2 have successfully worked together on the German market for quite some time. The companies are cooperating, among other things, to expand O2's German mobile network.

Cheers ~ Arne