In the dispute over the sluggish construction of its own mobile network, 1&1 can claim a stage victory. The Bundeskartellamt announced on Friday that it would examine whether the company could be obstructed by rival Vodafone and its stake in the radio tower, Vantage Towers. “We will take a close look at whether there are good reasons for delaying the provision of antenna sites for 1&1,” said Andreas Mundt, head of the Cartel Office. Vodafone rejected the allegation of disability. “As announced in February, we will work closely with the authorities on the usual procedural steps.”
1&1 wants to establish itself as the fourth mobile network operator in Germany. So far, however, only a fraction of the 1,000 radio masts required by the end of 2022 are in place. Responsible for this is the contractual partner Vantage, which has not fulfilled its obligations in the joint network construction and has signaled further delays. 1&1 had therefore lodged a complaint with the cartel office.