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Vodafone files complaint against Federal Cartel Office, accusing it of favoring 1&1 in its dispute of antenna sites rollout
- Vodafone filed a preventive legal protection with the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf, aiming to stop the Federal Cartel Office from making a decision in Vantage Towers-1&1 dispute.
- Vodafone speculates that Federal Cartel Office’s head, Andreas Mundt, wants to use the proceedings to help 1&1 achieve faster rollout of its network.
- It accuses the Federal Cartel Office of allowing 1&1 to control the proceedings, a claim that both 1&1 and the Federal Cartel Office deny.
- The Federal Cartel Office pointed out that the proceedings are “at an advanced stage,” adding that “whether a decision will be reached is currently still open.”
- In April 2025, the Federal Cartel Office said preliminary findings indicate that Vodafone and its subsidiary, Vantage Towers are liable for the failure by 1&1 to meet its antenna obligations at the end of 2022 and added that it is considering ordering the provision of the relevant sites within three years, with additional measures to follow in mid-2025.
- 1&1 shares up 3.8% while United Internet shares are up 2.8%.
Preliminary assessment
Vodafone’s application for preventive legal protection suggests it expects, or at least seriously fears, that the Federal Cartel Office will issue a decision favorable to 1&1 in the abuse proceedings. Such a decision would likely oblige Vantage Towers to grant 1&1 faster or more extensive access to antenna sites, potentially constraining Vodafone’s own rollout strategy.
Commercially, Vodafone also benefits from a slower 1&1 network expansion because it prolongs the economic value of the national roaming agreement. Hence, Vodafone could be indirectly trying to slow 1&1’s progress.
The step nonetheless calls into question the state of the 1&1–Vodafone relationship, especially after 1&1’s reported increase in roaming costs and emerging reports that Telefónica may seek to rekindle its cooperation with 1&1. Telefónica could see an opportunity if regulatory pressure and legal disputes further strain the 1&1–Vodafone partnership.