Hindered in 5G expansion?
1&1 files a complaint against Vodafone
02/23/2023 9:37 p.m
1&1 is doing everything it can to build its new 5G network as quickly as possible. The Vodafone subsidiary Vantage Towers is supposed to help, but it is clearly missing its expansion targets. 1&1 feels deliberately disadvantaged by the competitor – and lodges a complaint.
The mobile phone provider 1&1 accuses Vodafone of hindering its expansion of its 5G mobile network and turns on the antitrust authorities. The subsidiary 1&1 Mobilfunk GmbH will file a complaint with the Federal Cartel Office on Friday, the SDAX group announced. Due to delays in the provision of antenna sites by the Vodafone subsidiary Vantage Towers, the start of the network could be slightly delayed.
According to the announcement, Vantage Towers AG is by far the most important expansion partner of 1&1. In 2021, the joint use of 3,800 existing antenna sites for the new 1&1 network was agreed with Vantage Towers and expansion targets were defined for 2022, which Vantage Towers almost completely missed. At the end of the year, 1&1 only had a total of five 5G antenna sites, some of which were provided by Vantage Towers. In contrast, by the end of 2022, Vodafone had 1,600 5G antenna sites based on Vantage Towers infrastructure. Vodafone controls more than 81 percent of the cell tower operator.
At the end of 2022, Vantage Towers presented a new rollout plan, 1&1 continued. But on Thursday, 1&1 was informed that there would be further delays and that the new rollout plan would not be adhered to either.
“In particular, the expansion targets planned for the first quarters of 2023 will be clearly missed,” said 1&1. “An end to the preference obtained by Vodafone from Vantage Towers for the expansion activities for Vodafone at the expense of the 1&1 network construction does not seem to be in sight.”
1&1 is doing everything it can to build its new mobile network as quickly as possible. The renewed delay in the provision of antenna sites could have an impact on the launch of mobile services in the 1&1 network, which is planned for the third quarter of 2023, because the necessary technical certification processes sometimes require a certain minimum number of antenna sites. 1&1 is reviewing the schedule for further network expansion. A possibly slightly delayed grid start would have no significant financial impact.