Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
Getting a good mobile signal on a train in Germany might still be a distant dream, but Deutsche Bahn is stepping up its efforts to improve digital connectivity. From now on, free WiFi will be available at more than 100 train stations across the country.
Seamless surfing, here we come! Passengers and train drivers can now make use of a new, free WiFi network that has been launched in more than 100 train stations in Germany - including stations in major cities like Cologne, Munich and Hamburg as well as smaller stations like Trier, Straubing and Sylt.
Up until now, free internet was only available on long-distance trains - and even then, coverage was very patchy (and sometimes nonexistent). At stations, passengers are usually only able to log into other, paid WiFi networks, such as those provided by Telekom.
Deutsche Bahn announced at the end of last year that it has therefore given itself the aim of setting up a uniform WiFi network that would allow travellers to pass seamlessly from train to station to train without a break in their internet connection - rather than having to dial into two different networks, first at the station and then in the train.
For many travellers in Germany, having WiFi is especially important because mobile phone reception along train routes is still so poor. The reason for this is that there are not enough transmitter masts along the tracks - something that mobile phone providers themselves are responsible for.
The poor reception is also due to the heat-insulating windows used on express trains, which almost entirely prevent the signal from getting through. Therefore, trains usually redirect the signal via antenna into the train, where it is distributed by so-called repeaters. The group is also currently experimenting with frequency-permeable window panes.