BERLIN, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The old Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) in Germany will come to an end as O2/Telefonica is shutting down its last 3G sites by the end of the year, the company said on Wednesday.

The freed-up frequencies would be used entirely for the "faster and more efficient 4G standard," it said in a statement. The previous 2G network would remain in place to facilitate mobile calls and short message service (SMS).

"This year we have seen a tremendous transformation dynamics in the network," said Markus Haas, CEO of O2/Telefonica Germany, adding that the company is pushing ahead with 5G rollout at a rapid pace.

Competitors Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom, Germany's largest telecommunications company, already switched off their 3G standard this summer.

"The balance sheet for network expansion in 2021 is all about 5G and glass fiber," Deutsche Telekom said on Wednesday. By the end of the year, the company has been transmitting 5G via more than 63,000 antennas.

Deutsche Telekom has added 1.2 million new FTTH (fiber to home) connections in the past 12 months, reaching twice as many households as last year. In 2022, the company intends to "increase the pace further and is planning two million new FTTH connections." Enditem

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