1&1 becomes world’s largest Open RAN operator

1&1 becomes world’s largest Open RAN operator is profiled by BTW Media because published evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

• All of 1&1’s mobile customers now operate on its cloud-native Open RAN network, fulfilling a regulatory requirement ahead of the year-end.
• The migration follows a challenging rollout that included a major outage and component undersizing earlier in the deployment.

What happened: 1&1 completes full migration to its Open RAN network

1&1 announced that it has migrated all of its roughly 12 million mobile customers to its own network infrastructure built on Open RAN technology. The migration was completed in early November and allows the operator to satisfy conditions attached to its 5G licences — specifically the directive to achieve independent operator status rather than relying as an MVNO under wholesale arrangements.

As part of the transition, 1&1 still maintains a wholesale roaming agreement with Vodafone Germany to cover areas where its own network is not yet fully deployed. The network runs on virtualised, cloud-native architecture and 1&1 says it works with about 100 partner companies to build that infrastructure.

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Why it’s important

The move places 1&1 into a leading position in the global Open RAN ecosystem: with 12 million users on its network, it claims to have the largest deployment of any operator solely using Open RAN. This milestone underscores the viability of open-interface radio access networks and adds momentum to the market shift away from legacy, proprietary RAN architectures.

Regulatory impact is also notable, especially in Germany. By meeting the requirement ahead of the December 2025 deadline to establish competitive independence, 1&1 strengthens its position as the country’s fourth mobile network operator — increasing consumer choice and network competition at a time when national digital sovereignty and supply-chain diversification are policy priorities.

From an industry perspective, the successful migration paves the way for cost savings and innovation over time. Although the rollout has come at a high cost and with operational risks — earlier outages and component mismatches delayed progress — the completion signals resilience. Now that the network is live, 1&1 may benefit from higher scalability, greater flexibility, and potentially lower vendor lock-in.

Operators tracking Open RAN as a strategic route should watch how 1&1 performs in terms of network reliability, expansion speed, and return on investment. If 1&1 can convert the migration milestone into sustained growth and competitive advantage, the case for Open RAN may gain further traction globally.