German operators 1&1 and Freenet have filed a lawsuit against the 5G auction rules set by the Federal Network Agency, according to an Handelsblatt report. The lawsuit is against the conditions of the auction, and leaves all legal options open, said a 1&1 spokesperson. A Freenet spokesperson said the lawsuit aims to obtain legal certainty.
1&1's parent company United Internet has previously indicated interest in bidding for its own spectrum in the auction, but criticised the final conditions set by the regulator. United Internet will decide in the second half of January if it will take part in the bidding, a spokesperson said.
The suits by the two largest MVNOs in Germany follow the three major network operators Deustche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica Germany also taking legal action against the 5G auction rules set by the Federal Network Agency. Interested bidders have until 25 January to apply for participating in the auction; the lawsuits will not suspend the process from continuing. A spokesman for the regulator declined to comment, saying only that it has always maintained that legal appeals are possible.
