Overview
- The Bundesnetzagentur signaled a preliminary plan to end Deutsche Telekom’s ex‑ante obligations in Munich, Cologne, Ingolstadt and Wolfsburg.
- A final framework paper is due on 16 March, after which the regulator will consult market participants before any decision.
- Access to Telekom’s network would remain possible for rivals, but wholesale fees would shift from regulated tariffs to commercially negotiated terms.
- Competitor groups including BREKO and VATM warn of a premature move and a paradigm shift toward regionalized regulation that could weaken competition and investment.
- The regulator stresses the change is limited to these four cities and says areas lacking effective competition, such as Kreis Segeberg, will remain regulated.