- Germany’s telecoms regulator rules Vodafone’s tower access delays breached fair competition laws.
- The decision is a win for 1&1, which has struggled to gain access to critical infrastructure to deploy its 5G network.
What happened: Bundesnetzagentur sides with 1&1, raising concerns over Vodafone’s tower affiliate Vantage Towers
Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has ruled in favour of mobile operator 1&1 in its long-running infrastructure dispute with Vodafone’s tower subsidiary, Vantage Towers. The regulator concluded that Vantage violated obligations under the Telecommunications Act by failing to provide 1&1 timely access to mobile mast sites essential for rolling out its 5G network.
According to Telecoms, Vodafone’s Vantage Towers retains a majority stake through a consortium, significantly delaying the agreed infrastructure provision. This disruption, the regulator said, hindered 1&1’s efforts to meet its legally mandated network deployment targets. 1&1, Germany’s newest mobile network operator, is under pressure to build a standalone 5G network to compete with incumbents Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica Deutschland.
In a statement, the Bundesnetzagentur declared, “Access must be granted promptly and under the principles of non-discrimination and transparency.” It confirmed that the delays were not just technical setbacks but breaches of legal obligations to ensure fair market conditions.
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Why it is important
The regulator’s decision marks an crucial step in Germany’s push to increase competition in the mobile market. By supporting 1&1, the ruling makes clear that major operators cannot use their control of key infrastructure to hold back new competitors. This is particularly important because Vodafone still has a strong influence over Vantage Towers, which could lead to unfair advantages for its own mobile business.
For 1&1, part of United Internet, the ruling is a boost. As Germany’s fourth mobile network operator, it is trying to challenge the long-standing dominance of Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica. It plans to use Open RAN architecture to build its network, which requires reliable access to shared towers. Delays caused by Vantage have slowed this plan significantly.
The broader implication is that European regulators may become more aggressive in enforcing infrastructure access rules as more new entrants seek to build or lease networks. Regulators in other EU countries are closely watching how Germany handles fair access to mobile towers. This decision supports wider EU plans to make the telecoms market more balanced and to speed up 5G rollout by encouraging operators to share infrastructure.
