Barbara Costanzo, Vice President for Group Social Engagement at Deutsche Telekom AG
#TAKEPART is all about equal participation in social, economic, and cultural life. Everyone should be able to make use of the opportunities the web offers us – bringing us closer to family and friends, making learning more enjoyable, improving health care, and ensuring better mutual understanding as a result of coming across different perspectives every day online. Our #TAKEPART brand campaign therefore also encourages greater tolerance when we interact with each other digitally. At the end of the day, EVERYONE should be able to participate in the knowledge and information society. As we see it, this also demands that people who have different opinions, sexual preferences, or customs are treated with respect online.
13
billion euros was invested in expanding our network in 2019.
70000
On average, one kilometer of glass fiber costs about 70,000 euros.
It’s obviously not possible for everyone to have the latest smartphone and the plan with the largest data volume, but a fast internet connection and a modern mobile device that works properly should not be an unaffordable luxury. We therefore offer a whole host of different rate plans for every budget. The “Magenta Mobil Young” (website in German) rate plans for anyone under the age of 28 are just one example. We are also the only supplier in Germany to offer a subsidized rate for eligible customers. Recipients of BAföG student grants or unemployment benefits and those with severe disabilities, for example, can apply for the subsidized rate for their phone line. We also sell used, refurbished smartphones (website in German) that are in perfect technical condition at significantly reduced prices that make them affordable even to those on a tight budget. In addition to being cheaper, they’re good for the climate, too, because the manufacturing process accounts for around 75 percent of a smartphone’s CO2 emissions. Using smartphones for longer thus reduces emissions of greenhouse gases that harm the environment.