Ralph Dommermuth, the chief executive of 1&1, has dismissed rumors that he might sell the fourth German mobile network. “There is nothing to the rumours, and there is no dialogue with Telefónica” he said to the “Welt am Sonntag”. He added that he is not planning a sale; instead, “my team and I have been working hard for many years, taking a rocky road. We are not giving up the keys halfway through”.
With 1&1, Dommermuth is building a fourth mobile network in Germany alongside Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica O2. Market speculation recently suggested that he might prefer to sell the multimillion‑euro network‑building project rather than continue it.
The entrepreneur, however, is open to partnerships, such as joint use of cell‑tower sites in rural areas-a model already common in other European countries. By the end of 2025 1&1 claimed to cover 27 % of German households, exceeding the Bundesnetzagentur’s 25 % target, and coverage is slated to rise to 35 % by the end of 2026.
Dommermuth is currently in a legal dispute with the Bundesnetzagentur. The regulator had extended the low‑band spectrum that were set to expire in 2025 only to the three incumbent operators-Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica-without including 1&1. “From my perspective, the extension was unlawful” he said, stressing that these frequencies are crucial for indoor coverage.
Despite the opposition, Dommermuth cites the entry of a fourth carrier as having spurred competition and resulted in significantly lower tariffs for consumers. For the current year, 1&1 foresees an operating profit increase of roughly €100 million.
