Telekom, Vodafone, O2: Which is the best cell phone network

At the turn of the year 2021/2022, the old mobile phone network technology UMTS will finally be history in Germany. O2 was the last provider to shut down the aging 3G network. If you have a reasonably up-to-date mobile phone, this does not have to be a disadvantage for you: instead of UMTS, more antennas are now transmitting with the newer and better network technologies LTE and 5G.

In general, the three networks of Telekom, Vodafone and O2 have improved significantly in recent years - and this trend will probably continue in 2022. The question is: when is it worth switching to another network operator? And which cell phone network should you choose? We clarify that in this article.

These mobile phone networks are available in Germany

No matter which mobile phone provider you use, you are definitely using one of the three mobile phone networks that exist in Germany:

The company behind the O2 brand is called Telefónica Deutschland based in Munich. The former E-Plus network now also belongs to the O2 network.

As a customer of, for example, Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect, 1&1 or Congstar, you are also on one of these three networks. Because the smaller mobile phone providers buy minutes, SMS and gigabytes from the three network operators - and use them to create their own mobile phone tariffs. Some providers are also subsidiaries or brands of the network operators.

Examples: cell phone providers and their cell phone networks

Why is the right mobile network important to you?

If you decide on a new cell phone tariff today, it is not just about services such as flat rates for calls or the number of gigabytes of data volume. It is also very important that you choose the right mobile network. After all, you don't want to curse about dead spots all the time.

In addition, the price of mobile phone contracts also depends on the mobile network. Contracts in the Telekom network tend to be the most expensive, Vodafone tariffs are more in the middle, and mobile phone tariffs in the O2 network are often among the cheapest offers.

What is the best cell phone network?

According to the concurring test results of the trade media "Connect" and "Chip", Deutsche Telekom's cell phone network is the best. Behind it, the Vodafone network takes second place. The O2 network follows in third place.

The "Computer Bild" also came up with this order in its cell phone network test. The magazine does not test with professional measuring technology like the trade media, but evaluates a test app from its readers. Advantage: It is measured at the locations where the users are actually located. Disadvantage: Depending on the cell phone model, the test results may vary. For its test for 2022, Computer Bild focused on the speed of the 5G networks. Conclusion: The speed advantage over LTE should be noticeable, but is often far below the advertising promises. Since there is currently no overall score for the networks, we will leave the results for 2021 in the table below for the time being.

All three mobile networks have recently improved in the tests. O2 has even made a significant leap forward and was able to close the gap to the other two network operators; Especially in big cities, the O2 network is now completely on par with the competition. And O2 is also catching up in rural areas. The network test by the specialist medium Chip from November 2021 states: “O2 is no longer the poor child among the networks. In the last year, the Telefónica subsidiary has significantly improved LTE availability in rural areas and has almost caught up with its competitors.”

Results of the cell phone network tests 2021/2022

Rule of thumb best cell phone network: In principle, you can choose all three networks if you live in a city and travel little in Germany. If you live in the country or travel a lot, you should rather use Telekom or Vodafone.

Check network coverage: Best cell phone network for your place of residence

The general network quality is only an indication. Ultimately, it is important that you have good reception where you are often. Therefore, check the network coverage at least for your place of residence and work – i.e. the area in which the radio signal penetrates with sufficient strength so that you can use your mobile phone there. We have selected the links for you:

Important: You can select three different network technologies in the network maps: 2G (GSM, Edge, E), 4G (LTE, L) and 5G. Above all, look at the coverage with 4G/LTE. This is currently the most important network technology.

The ancient 2G (GSM) is often used as a fallback solution when LTE or 5G are not available. It's good for making phone calls; hardly at all for surfing the Internet.

On the website of the Federal Network Agency you can display the coverage with the various technologies on a map of Germany. We have selected the LTE supply for you below.

Why 3G is dead and 5G not so important

At the turn of the year 2021/2022, O2 switched off the last remnants of the 3G network, also known as UMTS. The importance of 3G had already dwindled significantly when the other two network operators, Vodafone and Telekom, switched off the UMTS network nationwide within a few days at the beginning of July 2021.

The Munich-based company Telefónica Deutschland, which is behind the O2 brand, took a little more time for this: In June 2021, the network operator announced that it would gradually switch off the UMTS network from July to December 2021. The capacities released should have gone to the 4G network, so that customers with LTE-capable cell phones should not have any disadvantage in terms of network coverage.

Review: Gradual UMTS shutdown in 2021 at O2

Make sure that LTE or 4G is switched on in the settings of your mobile phone. UMTS coverage was only important if you were still using a very old cell phone without LTE functionality, such as the iPhone 3GS. You can still make phone calls and send text messages via the 2G network, also known as GSM. 2G/GSM was introduced in 1990 and is to be retained as a kind of emergency channel. However, the 2G network is much too slow for surfing. If you still want to access the Internet at an acceptable speed with an old mobile phone without 3G, you have to connect to a WiFi hotspot. However, buying a new cell phone might ultimately be the better choice.

The situation is reversed with 5G: the network is still under construction. For the vast majority of mobile phone users, it will still be rather uninteresting in 2022. Because the predecessor LTE is fast enough for almost all private applications such as surfing, e-mails, films, games and downloads. In addition, 5G drains your cell phone's battery faster than 4G. 5G is particularly important for industrial applications such as autonomous driving. At some point it will also become standard for private individuals. That is not the case yet: 5G tariffs still cost significantly more than 4G tariffs - in many cases without delivering any added value that justifies the extra charge.

What you can take away from the text

No matter which mobile phone contract you have, in Germany you always use one of the three mobile networks from Telekom, Vodafone or O2 (Telefónica). According to several tests, the Deutsche Telekom network is the best cell phone network, followed by Vodafone and finally O2. In cities, third-placed O2 can often keep up with Telekom and Vodafone. In rural areas, the lead of the competitors is slightly larger, but O2 is also catching up here.

When choosing your network, you should check the coverage of radio signals in places where you are often. Check the network coverage of the three providers to find out which one has the best cell phone network at your place of residence, for example. The most important thing is the coverage with the LTE/4G network technology. In the article we have selected the links for the network coverage of all providers.

If you're lucky, the O2 network will suffice: mobile phone tariffs from low-cost providers in the Telefónica network are among the cheapest offers on the market. However, if you travel a lot in Germany, choose a mostly more expensive tariff in the Telekom or Vodafone network.