More than 28,000 households in Germany still have no or little access to high-speed mobile internet, according to a new study released on Tuesday.

Around 2% of Germany are considered “white spots,” meaning areas where coverage is below the LTE standard, according to the study by the Ministry for Digitalization and State Modernization.

According to the findings, 99.9% of the country’s roughly 41 million households have access to mobile broadband, but especially in mountainous areas, near borders and in forest and nature reserves, internet reception is poor or non-existent.

The southern states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, among Germany’s most prosperous yet mountainous regions, are most affected, the study found.

The causes of the remaining coverage gaps will now be analyzed in order to develop tailor-made solutions, said Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger. According to the study, 83% of Germany’s white spots are located in forested terrain.

– dpa