With 1&1’s own network, there is a fourth mobile operator in Germany after Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica. Or better: There will be, because the 1&1 network is still in its infancy. We tried it.
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First of all, the most important technical aspect: 1&1 is building its mobile network differently than the existing networks. This is a so-called Open RAN. Open RAN is a new approach to building 4G and 5G mobile networks with standardized components and therefore provider-independent. The abbreviation RAN stands for “Radio Access Network”, i.e. the complete technology of the mobile network, from the backbone connection to the radio heads, i.e. the base stations.
Unlike proprietary networks that are delivered as a black box from a single source, an Open RAN can be broken down into many standardized components that communicate with each other via…
