• Fiberhost's network passes more than 1.4 million homes, while Inea has over 300,000 retail broadband and TV customers
  • Fiberhost is expected to remain open to other internet service providers, with closing subject to Polish competition approval

The fact

Deutsche Telekom has agreed to acquire 100% of Fiberhost and Inea in Poland from Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5 and minority shareholders. The businesses have an enterprise valuation of approximately €1 billion, and the transaction remains subject to Polish competition approval.

Fiberhost operates an open-access fibre network passing more than 1.4 million homes. Inea provides retail broadband and television services to more than 300,000 customers. Deutsche Telekom plans to combine the businesses with T-Mobile Polska, which has expanded fixed broadband coverage through wholesale partners since signing its first wholesale access agreement in 2018.

Deutsche Telekom says Fiberhost will continue to provide transparent and non-discriminatory access to its fibre infrastructure for existing and potential internet service providers. The company has not announced a closing date or a detailed post-acquisition investment plan.

The assessment

The acquisition would change T-Mobile Polska's position in fixed broadband. It has built national coverage partly by buying access from wholesale partners; after closing, Deutsche Telekom would also own an FTTH network passing more than 1.4 million homes. That gives the group direct control over a large access-network footprint while adding Inea's existing retail customers.

Fiberhost, however, is expected to remain a wholesale network for other service providers. The same infrastructure would therefore support Deutsche Telekom's retail businesses and competing ISPs. Provisioning, fault repair, upgrades and access terms become important because the network owner would belong to the same group as one of the retailers using it.

For BTW readers, Fiberhost will still be expected to serve rival ISPs after becoming part of the same group as T-Mobile Polska and Inea. Deutsche Telekom would therefore own the network while also competing for customers over it. Wholesale access terms, provisioning and fault handling will show how that arrangement works after closing.

What to watch

Watch the Polish competition review, any conditions attached to approval and the closing timetable. After completion, changes to Fiberhost's wholesale terms, provisioning, fault handling and network expansion will matter, along with new or renewed third-party ISP agreements. Deutsche Telekom's plans for integrating Inea and T-Mobile Polska will also clarify how the retail businesses sit alongside Fiberhost's open-access role.