Overview

• The Bundesnetzagentur published its final report on July 30, concluding no systematic anti-competitive fiber overbuild by Deutsche Telekom and decommissioned the dedicated Monitoringstelle.
• Regulators evaluated 539 reported double-build cases and found that instances of “empty” expansion announcements were very rare regardless of the operator involved.
• Future overbuild disputes must be filed with Beschlusskammer 3 under the Telecommunications Act, requiring precise, fact-based evidence from complainants.
• The report noted that Deutsche Telekom tended to target high-value core areas and in 47 percent of observed cases launched its rollout within ten months of competitors’ network launches.
• Deutsche Telekom hailed the outcome as proof that the overbuild debate was a “Schein-Debatte,” while industry groups Breko and VATM called for tighter scrutiny and fairer competitive conditions.