Telcos complain about auction as German regulator bags €6.5bn

With 41 blocks available in the 2 GHz and 3.6 GHz bands, this spectrum auction has proved to be a busy one for Germany, but it certainly is a profitable one also.

Lasted 52 days and consisting of hundreds of different bids in what appeared to be a frustrating process, the German regulator will pocket €6.5 billion. It seems Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone were having the biggest feud, sending the total expenditure considerably north of the €3-5 billion expectation.

Sitting at the top of the pile, Deutsche Telekom spent €2.2 billion, while Vodafone contributed €1.9 billion. Telefonica spent €1.4 billion and up-start Drillisch wrote a cheque for €1.1 billion as it searches for a means to break the dominance of the three MNOs.

“Vodafone is committed to bring the full benefits of a digital society to Germany through our gigabit network including 5G,” said Vodafone Group CEO Nick Read. “We believe it is important to have a balance between the price paid for spectrum and our strong desire to create an inclusive society through investment in mobile network coverage.”

And while Read’s comments are as bland as you would expect for a press statement, there have been grumblings elsewhere over price. Deutsche Telekom has said the process has left a ‘bitter taste’.

“The network rollout in Germany has suffered a significant setback. The price could have been much lower,” said Dirk Wössner, Member of the Board of Management of Telekom Deutschland.

“Once again, the spectrum in Germany is much more expensive than in other countries. Network operators now lack the money to expand their networks. With the auction proceeds one could have built approximately 50,000 new mobile sites and close many white spots.”

Deutsche Telekom has secured 4 frequency blocks in the 2 GHz band and 9 frequency packages in the 3.6 GHz band. Vodafone on the other hand has purchased four different blocks in 2 GHz, and one continuous block of 90 MHz in the 3.6 GHz spectrum band. Telefonica collected two paired blocks in the 2 GHz band and seven unpaired blocks in 3.6 GHz.

Although Telefonica feels it can maintain its market share leadership position in mobile following this auction, it also felt the need to vent over a frustrating couple of months.

“We remain convinced that frequency allocation via auction was counterproductive for the expansion of mobile communications in Germany,” said Valentina Daiber, Chief Officer for Legal & Corporate Affairs at Telefónica Deutschland.

“The course of the auction showed that the design as well as the insufficient amount of available frequencies drove up the costs. From the consumer’s point of view and for Germany as a business location, these investment funds would be much better spent on network expansion.”

The telcos will certainly be glad they have a bit of breathing room from the auction process now, though the relationship between the regulator and industry seems to be turning very sour.