In a press release from the IFA trade fair in Berlin, Vodafone Germany’s CEO Friedrich Joussen has said that the company’s rural Long Term Evolution (LTE) network now covers around five million households in underserved parts of the country. The executive added that Vodafone will launch the 4G technology in Dusseldorf this month and is currently rolling out an LTE network in Berlin.

With regards to the company’s television service, Joussen said the firm is looking to use Vodafone TV in combination with its LTE network to boost availability of the TV offering. Vodafone Germany has signed up a total of 40,000 subscribers to its hybrid television service since it was commercially launched in February 2011. Vodafone TV currently comprises a hybrid technology of cable, satellite and IPTV. TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database states that Vodafone Germany commercially launched LTE in rural areas of Germany in December last year using 800MHz frequencies it won at auction in May 2010. The operator is now looking to deploy the 4G technology in metropolitan areas, including Dusseldorf.