Successful together: 1&1 Drillisch and Telefónica cooperate in Germany. (Bild: pixabay/liggraphy)

1&1 Drillisch has accepted Telefónica’s offer of national roaming. The company will thus be able to use Telefónica’s network in Germany in the future wherever it does not yet have its own mobile network.

The German Federal Network Agency has announced that 1&1 Drillisch has accepted an offer from Telefónica on national roaming, which means that in future it will be able to use the network of its new contractual partner wherever it does not yet have its own mobile network.

“The announced agreement on national roaming is good news for wireless customers in Germany. The cooperation is an indication of the attractiveness and dynamism of the German wireless services market. 1&1 Drillisch becomes the fourth mobile network operator in Germany. Now it is up to 1&1 Drillisch to start building the network and to use the acquired frequencies efficiently.”
Jochen Homann, President of the Federal Network Agency

1&1 Drillisch had purchased usage rights at 2 GHz and 3.6 GHz in the 2019 frequency auction. In order to be able to offer nationwide services immediately, 1&1 Drillisch had requested national roaming.

Negotiations accompanied by Federal Network Agency

The Federal Network Agency had ordered the established mobile network operators in the spectrum auction to negotiate national roaming with new entrant 1&1 Drillisch. In parallel, there was a roaming option for 1&1 Drillisch from the proceedings on the merger of the network operators Telefónica and E-Plus at the European Commission.

Negotiations on national roaming began after the auction in 2019. 1&1 Drillisch had called on the Federal Network Agency as an arbitrator. To this end, the Federal Network Agency had held talks with all network operators on several occasions to promote constructive negotiations.

Federal Network Agency and European Commission

The negotiations between Telefónica and 1&1 Drillisch were also accompanied by the European Commission, actively supported by the Federal Network Agency. The agreement now reached on national roaming intensifies the existing cooperation between Telefónica and 1&1 Drillisch. 1&1 Drillisch already sells wireless services on the Telefónica network.

With the existence of a roaming agreement, the essential requirement of 1&1 Drillisch has been met. As the Federal Network Agency’s announcement states, 1&1 Drillisch is “expected to begin network rollout as soon as possible and to put the frequencies to efficient use.”

Parts of this text has been translated with www.DeepL.com