Markus Haas: Seriously, no one can want that. At least not if eliminating the dead spots should continue to have top priority. For this, the area frequencies in the 800 megahertz range must be extended – without any auction at all. Otherwise, at the end of 2025, when these frequencies are phased out, we will find ourselves in a situation where a third of the population in half the area could be left without a mobile phone network.
FAZ: Why?
Markus Haas: Because only a limited range of frequency spectrum is available, a third of which is now owned by Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and O2 Telefónica is located. With four network operators to come, a nationwide active provider could go away empty-handed. For technical reasons, this spectrum cannot be divided between four operating companies. That means: For the many millions of customers of the provider who is eliminated from the race, the area supply would collapse. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to take that risk.
FAZ: Your proposal for an extension would clearly be at the expense of 1&1.
Markus Haas: It’s a bridge solution. The 600 megahertz frequencies, which are still required by broadcasting for DVBT2, but are expected to be usable for mobile communications around the world in 2030, offer a longer-term solution. Then newcomers could get access to area frequencies. This transitional period has to be mastered. We have contractually agreed that 1&1 will have access to our network via national roaming by 2034 and can use it to cover the area. This is the best solution in the general interest. Any other decision would inevitably have to lead to a cancellation of the applicable expansion obligations. They could then simply no longer be fulfilled.
[…]
The full interview was published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on September 20, 2022.
