Telecompaper

KPN subsidiary E-Plus has filed a complaint against German telecommunications regulator BNA over the planned mobile frequencies auction in the first quarter of 2010. The operator claims that the auction conditions breach German competition laws and disrupt the plans of the federal government to expand broadband of at least 1 Mbps to 100 percent of the German population by the end of 2010. E-Plus has filed two lawsuits against BNA, both at the administrative court in Cologne. The first concerns the auction conditions, which could see the two largest mobile operators in Germany (T-Mobile and Vodafone) come away with two thirds of the digital dividend (800 MHz) frequencies from the auction, despite the fact that they currently already have more frequencies than the two smaller operators (E-Plus and O2). At the same time, E-Plus filed summary proceedings against the auction conditions as they jeopardise the federal government's broadband strategy. E-Plus said that the ultimate goal of both proceedings is to ensure a fair and competitive mobile market in Germany. O2 Germany has also filed summary proceedings against the auction, according to Teltarif.de.