In a surprise move, 1&1 customers can roam on Telefonica O2’s 5G network, ahead of the phased move to Vodafone’s network next summer
1&1 says it will activate its own mobile network ahead of announcing its first smartphone tariffs on 8 December. The network deployment has been beset with problems and the network activation date postponed a number of times, most recently from September.
1&1 CEO, Ralph Dommermuth, said in an interview earlier this month with German newspaper Handelsblatt said antennas would be active in 200 locations in early 2024, rising to 3,000 by the end of next year.
Telefonica opens up 5G
However, while the roll-out of its own infrastructure Open RAN continues, it will still roam on Telefonica Deutschland’s 2G and 4G networks, to which 5G has unexpectedly been added. Previously Telefonica had declined to give 1&1 access to its 5G network. German media reports no details have been given about the expanded arrangement.
Shift to Vodafone
This surprise move follows another unexpected announcement made in August – that 1&1 will move its 12 million mobile customers to Vodafone’s network for national roaming from 1 July 2024 in stages.
Previously, the two companies had been at loggerheads after 1&1 had complained to Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (the Bundeskartellamt) that Vodafone actions had caused “obstacles to the roll-out of its 5G mobile network”. 1&1 said the obstacles had prevented it from meeting the roll-out obligations that are part of its licence terms.
1&1 has offered Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) on 5G technology for home broadband services since December 2022.