Vodafone has completed a significant upgrade to its cable and fiber network in the Landkreis Biberach region of Germany, bringing gigabit-capable internet to over 3,000 households in Biberach an der Riß and Bad Schussenried. The announcement details three completed construction projects aimed at improving network stability and performance.
The modernization involved laying new fiber optic cables and installing additional fiber optic nodes, creating smaller network segments. Vodafone states that these improvements were largely implemented with minimal disruption to residents and traffic. The upgrades are intended to provide more consistent bandwidth, particularly during peak hours, to support data-intensive applications like video conferencing, streaming, and online gaming.
Responding to Growing Demand
Vodafone’s investment is directly linked to increasing data consumption in the Landkreis Biberach, which is currently growing at an annual rate of 12 percent. The company notes that residents are increasingly reliant on internet access for professional, financial, and social activities. A stable broadband connection is now considered essential for activities such as live streaming, online banking, e-commerce, and social media engagement.
Broader Network Modernization Efforts
The Biberach upgrade is part of a larger, nationwide infrastructure offensive by Vodafone Germany. The company reports completing over 3,500 construction projects across Germany in the last fiscal year. These efforts are demonstrably improving network quality, as evidenced by recent independent testing. Vodafone’s cable network received the highest rating in the “Price-Performance” category in the CHIP Festnetz-Test 2025 for the third consecutive time, and also won the “Tempo National” category.
Technical Approach: Segmentation and Backbone Upgrades
Vodafone is employing two primary strategies to enhance network capacity: segmentation and backbone upgrades. Segmentation involves converting existing amplifier points into fiber nodes by replacing coaxial cable with fiber optic connections. This increases the proportion of fiber within the cable network, bringing it closer to individual customer premises.
When bottlenecks occur in the transition from the national to the regional backbone, Vodafone adds further fiber optic connections to increase transport capacity. The company uses the analogy of adding a lane to a highway to illustrate this process.
Expanding Gigabit Access Across Germany
Beyond the Biberach region, Vodafone is significantly expanding gigabit internet access across Germany. As of , the company reports that nearly 30 million households – representing a 73 percent coverage rate – have access to gigabit connections via its network. This expansion is being achieved through both modernization of the existing cable network and continued deployment of fiber optic infrastructure.
In addition to its own efforts, Vodafone is partnering with OXG to build up to seven million new fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections in the coming years. The company’s 5G network currently reaches over 90 percent of the German population, and its narrowband IoT network covers 97% of the country’s area.
Vodafone’s Position in the German Market
Vodafone Germany is the largest subsidiary of the Vodafone Group, contributing approximately 30 percent of the group’s total revenue. The company serves over 30 million mobile customers, more than 10 million broadband customers, and around 12 million TV customers. With approximately 15,000 employees, Vodafone Germany generates an annual turnover of around €13 billion.
The company is committed to sustainability, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2025 and emissions-free operations by 2040. Vodafone Germany currently sources 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources.
A Shift in Broadband Delivery
While satellite internet services like Starlink have garnered attention, Vodafone’s infrastructure upgrades represent a more grounded approach to improving broadband access, particularly in rural areas. The company’s investments are intended to address the “digital divide” and provide reliable, high-speed internet access as essential infrastructure, comparable to electricity or running water. The upgrades in Freudenstadt, delivering gigabit-capable internet to 3,400 households, highlight this shift in focus.
In addition to Biberach and Freudenstadt, Vodafone has also completed 13 construction projects in Ummendorf, Ochsenhausen, Mittelbiberach, and Warthausen, benefiting approximately 8,900 cable households.