08 Dez. VATM welcomes Federal Network Agency’s key issues paper on the business customer market: an important step towards increased competition in the business customer sector
Cologne, 08. December 2025. The Bonn-based regulatory authority has made far-reaching proposals for a readjustment of the regulatory framework in the business customer market in a key issues and discussion paper that has now been submitted. “The Federal Network Agency has come to the conclusion that the previous regulation has proven to be insufficient to transform the market into sustainable competition for the benefit of consumers. So Deutsche Telekom is in a position to expand its dominant market position in the overall market again and further. Now the Federal Network Agency must react,” emphasizes VATM Managing Director Dr. Frederic Ufer.
The industry has long observed that competitors in the high-revenue business customer market, which is important for the economy, are continuously losing market share to Deutsche Telekom. According to the VATM market analysis, Telekom will dominate almost 70 percent of the business customer market by the end of the year in 2025. The main reason for this problematic development is the long-standing inadequate regulation in this market segment. Competitors continue to be particularly dependent on functioning access to Telekom’s nationwide network.
“Limiting innovation and restricting competition – the Federal Network Agency uses clear language to describe the current situation in the business customer market” Ufer acknowledges the authority’s statements. In the age of fiber optics, stronger and more effective regulation is needed to ensure real provider diversity and meaningful product innovation.
The BNetzA’s proposal to pay much stricter attention to non-discrimination against competitors in the future and to enable access to Telekom’s unswitched fiber optics is a decisive step, he said. This will enable the development of completely new access products that would allow alternative providers to compete with Deutsche Telekom more than before in terms of quality. „More offer in this market segment would be a real benefit for the many business customers and thus ultimately also for consumers,“ emphasizes the managing director.
The association also expressly welcomes the Federal Network Agency’s proposal to require Telekom to offer its access products to other customers on the same terms and at comparable prices as those it offers to itself or to its subsidiaries and partner companies. “This level playing field is essential to give the market a sustainable growth boost,” Ufer says. Another key step towards a more attractive business customer market would be the idea of reviewing and approving Telekom’s access charges in advance.
„The key issues paper is a reflection of a difficult market situation for competition in Germany and must be discussed with the greatest seriousness in the coming weeks and the solution shown must be consistently followed,“ appeals the managing director.
