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Customer development

Customer development – Germany

thousands

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mar. 31, 2026

Dec. 31, 2025

Change
Mar. 31, 2026/
Dec. 31, 2025 
%

Mar. 31, 2025

Change
Mar. 31, 2026/
Mar. 31, 2025 
%

Mobile customers

75,320

74,490

1.1

69,788

7.9

Contract customers

27,924

27,740

0.7

26,802

4.2

Prepaid customers (incl. M2M)

47,396

46,750

1.4

42,986

10.3

Fixed-network lines

16,712

16,796

(0.5)

17,067

(2.1)

Retail broadband lines

15,100

15,103

0.0

15,145

(0.3)

Of which: optical fibera

13,412

13,370

0.3

13,255

1.2

Television (IPTV, satellite)

4,775

4,747

0.6

4,675

2.1

Wholesale lines

9,985

10,077

(0.9)

10,391

(3.9)

Wholesale broadband lines

8,479

8,536

(0.7)

8,594

(1.3)

Of which: optical fibera

7,596

7,617

(0.3)

7,624

(0.4)

Unbundled local loop lines (ULLs)

1,506

1,541

(2.3)

1,797

(16.2)

a

Disclosure of the total of all fiber-optic lines (FTTx).

Total

In Germany, we maintained our market leadership in terms of both fixed-network and mobile revenues. This success is attributable to our high-performance networks, a broad product portfolio, and excellent service quality. Our goal is to deliver our customers a seamless and technology-neutral telecommunications experience. In pursuit of this, we continually adapt our product portfolio to address the needs of our customers.

Mobile communications

Our Germany operating segment had a total of 75.3 million mobile customers as of March 31, 2026. The number of high-value mobile contract customers under the Telekom and congstar brands grew by 200 thousand customers overall against year-end 2025. Sustained demand for rate plans with data allowances continues to drive this trend. The prepaid customer base grew by 1.4 %, driven mainly by the M2M SIM cards used in the automotive industry.

Fixed network

The total number of fiber-optic-based lines was 21.0 million as of March 31, 2026, reflecting sustained demand for higher bandwidths. The number of retail broadband lines remained stable against the end of 2025 at a total of 15.1 million customers. Around 57 % of the customers have subscribed to a rate plan with speeds of 100 Mbit/s or higher. The rise in demand for our TV content drove growth in our TV customer base of 28 thousand against year-end 2025, an increase of 0.6 %. The number of fixed-network lines decreased by 0.5 % to 16.7 million lines on account of the decline in the voice product.

Wholesale

The number of wholesale lines declined as of March 31, 2026. This trend results partly from consumers switching to other providers and partly from our wholesale partners migrating their retail customers to their own infrastructures. Fiber-optic-based wholesale broadband lines accounted for 76.1 % of all lines – an increase of 0.5 percentage points against the end of 2025.

Development of operations

Development of operations – Germany

millions of €

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q1 2026

Q1 2025

Change

Change
%

FY 2025

Revenue

 

6,340

6,219

120

1.9

25,610

Consumers

 

3,289

3,199

90

2.8

12,953

Business Customers

 

2,104

2,128

(23)

(1.1)

8,739

Wholesale

 

806

797

9

1.1

3,249

Other

 

141

96

44

46.0

668

Service revenuea

 

5,582

5,529

53

1.0

22,457

EBITDA

 

2,752

2,708

44

1.6

10,887

Special factors affecting EBITDA

 

(126)

(81)

(45)

(55.2)

(466)

EBITDA (adjusted for special factors)

 

2,878

2,789

88

3.2

11,353

EBITDA AL

 

2,573

2,553

20

0.8

10,228

Special factors affecting EBITDA AL

 

(126)

(81)

(45)

(55.2)

(466)

EBITDA AL (adjusted for special factors)

 

2,699

2,634

65

2.5

10,694

EBITDA AL margin (adjusted for special factors)

%

42.6

42.4

 

 

41.8

Depreciation, amortization and impairment losses

 

(1,116)

(1,106)

(10)

(0.9)

(4,486)

Profit (loss) from operations (EBIT)

 

1,636

1,603

33

2.1

6,401

EBIT margin

%

25.8

25.8

 

 

25.0

Cash capex

 

(832)

(1,249)

418

33.4

(4,870)

Cash capex (before spectrum investment)

 

(832)

(1,249)

418

33.4

(4,870)

a

As of January 1, 2026, the definition of service revenue was changed. Prior-year comparatives were adjusted retrospectively.

Revenue, service revenue

Total revenue in our Germany operating segment was EUR 6.3 billion in the reporting period, an increase of 1.9 % on the prior-year period. In organic terms, revenue increased by 2.1 %. Service revenues grew by 1.0 % year-on-year due to growth in the mobile and fixed-network businesses, largely driven by broadband and TV business. Non-service revenues likewise trended positively with an increase of 9.7 %, mainly due to higher mobile terminal equipment revenues and revenues from our partnership business.

Revenue from Consumers increased by 2.8 % compared with the prior-year period. Mobile service revenues trended in line with the positive customer development in the reporting period. The fixed-network business likewise continued to perform well, mainly on the back of sustained broadband revenue growth driven by a number of positive factors, including rising demand for powerful, reliable networks and higher bandwidths, as well as customer appreciation for our TV offerings.

Revenue from Business Customers decreased by 1.1 % year-on-year. In organic terms, the year-on-year revenue decrease was 0.8 %. Both the mobile and the fixed-network businesses remained below the prior-year level, mainly due to declines in voice business and call charges.

Wholesale revenue remained stable year-on-year in the reporting period at EUR 0.8 billion.

Adjusted EBITDA AL, EBITDA AL

Adjusted EBITDA AL increased by EUR 65 billion or 2.5 % year-on-year. The main reasons for this increase are high-value service revenue growth and enhanced cost efficiency, primarily as a result of the lower headcount and the ongoing implementation of efficiency enhancement and digitalization measures. Our adjusted EBITDA AL margin amounted to 42.6 %.

At EUR 2.6 billion, EBITDA AL increased by 0.8 % against the level of the prior-year period, due to the effects described under adjusted EBITDA AL and higher year-on-year expenses arising from special factors. Special factors increased by EUR 45 million in the first quarter of 2026 to EUR 126 million, mainly in connection with socially responsible staff restructuring measures.

Profit/loss from operations (EBIT)

Profit from operations amounted to EUR 1.6 billion, an increase of 2.1 % against the prior-year period. The positive EBITDA trend in particular contributed to this development. This was offset by an increase of 0.9 % in depreciation, amortization and impairment losses, mainly resulting from rising fiber build-out volumes.

Cash capex (before spectrum investment), cash capex

Cash capex (before spectrum investment) decreased by EUR 418 million or 33.4 % compared with the prior-year period, primarily due to the timing of investments in the fiber build-out. The number of homes passed by our fiber-optic network had increased to 13.0 million by March 31, 2026.

AL – After Leases
Since the start of the 2019 financial year, Deutsche Telekom has taken the effects of the first-time application of IFRS 16 “Leases” into account when determining financial performance indicators. “EBITDA after leases” (EBITDA AL) is calculated by adjusting EBITDA for depreciation of the right-of-use assets and for interest expenses on recognized lease liabilities. When determining “free cash flow after leases” (free cash flow AL), free cash flow is adjusted for the repayment of lease liabilities.
Glossary
Fixed-network lines
In the combined management report, these include lines in operation, excluding internal use and public telecommunications, including IP-based lines. The totals and the changes in percent were calculated on the basis of precise figures and rounded to millions or thousands.
Glossary
M2M – Machine to Machine
M2M refers to communication between machines. The information is automatically sent to the recipient. For example, in an emergency, alarm systems automatically send a signal to security or the police.
Glossary
Mobile customers
In the combined management report, one mobile communications card corresponds to one customer (see also SIM card). The totals and the changes in percent were calculated on the basis of precise figures and rounded to millions or thousands.
Glossary
Prepaid
In contrast to postpaid contracts, prepaid communication services are services for which credit has been purchased in advance with no fixed-term contractual obligations.
Glossary
Retail
The sale of goods and services to end users. By contrast, the business with wholesale services for other telecommunications companies is referred to as wholesale business.
Glossary
SIM card – Subscriber Identification Module card
A SIM card is a chip card that is inserted into a cell phone to identify it in the mobile network. Deutsche Telekom counts its customers by the number of SIM cards activated and not churned. Customer totals also include the SIM cards with which machines can communicate automatically with one another (M2M cards). The churn rate is determined and reported based on the local market.
Glossary
Wholesale
Refers to the business of selling services to telecommunications companies which sell them to their own retail customers either directly or after further processing.
Glossary

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