07.10.2020
Optical fiber, VDSL, vectoring:Telefónica Germany / O2 and Deutsche Telekom expand fixed network cooperation
Telefónica Deutschland / O2 and Deutsche Telekom are extending and expanding their existing cooperation in the fixed network at an early stage. The two companies have signed a ten-year contract to this end. The contract will also enable O2 to market Telekom's fiber optic home access services (FTTH) to its customers in future.
In addition, O2 will continue to use VDSL and vectoring wholesale products from Telekom. The cooperation agreement concluded between Telefónica Deutschland / O2 and Telekom is still subject to regulatory approval, in particular from the Federal Network Agency, which ensures the competitiveness of all market participants. The agreement is expected to come into force in spring 2021.
- O2 expands position as fixed network provider
- O2 customers get access to Deutsche Telekom's fiber optic network
"The long-term cooperation with Deutsche Telekom gives us planning security. In future, we will be able to offer our O2 customers access to the fiber optic network, especially in large cities. There is no other provider in Germany that can offer its customers access to Germany's largest VDSL, cable and FTTH infrastructures and at the same time has a high-capacity mobile network. On this basis we can offer our customers first-class convergent products", explains Markus Haas, CEO of Telefónica Germany / O2.
"This is a groundbreaking deal for the expansion of the fiber optic infrastructure in Germany over the next decade. Based on a voluntary commercial agreement between two major market players, from which many people and companies in Germany will benefit," emphasizes Dirk Wössner, Deutsche Telekom's CEO for Germany.
The future FTTH offer for O2 customers based on the telecom infrastructure will enable Internet high-speed of up to 1 GBit/s. VDSL solutions for O2 customers can achieve surfing speeds of up to 250 Mbit/s. The Telekom VDSL network reaches around 33 million households in Germany. So far, 1.8 million households are supplied with fiber optic connections. Telekom will significantly accelerate its fiber optic expansion in the coming years.
The two companies also cooperate in other areas of network infrastructure expansion and utilization. Telekom will supply Telefónica Deutschland / O2 with around 5,000 fiber optic connections for new and existing mobile communications sites. Together with Vodafone, both companies are also working to close around 6,000 so-called white spots in mobile communications coverage, particularly in rural areas.