Bundesnetzagentur sets the conditions for access to Telekom’s ducts
Year of issue 2026
Date of issue 2026.07.22
The Bundesnetzagentur has today published three decisions on access to the ducts and masts of companies with a dominant market position. Thus, following the pricing terms, the contractual terms of access have now also been set. The decisions have been eagerly awaited by the market.
“We have removed the obstacles to duct access and created complete clarity over the access terms and conditions – now it’s up to the companies to make use of these new opportunities,
” said Klaus Müller, President of the Bundesnetzagentur.
Legally secure access obligation and stable prices
The Bundesnetzagentur had already required the significant market power operator Telekom Deutschland GmbH (Telekom) to grant other companies access to its ducts in summer 2022. This obligation was highly contentious but was confirmed in spring 2026 by the European Court of Justice and the Administrative Court of Cologne.
To implement this general obligation, the Bundesnetzagentur determined for the first time in 2024, and most recently in June 2026, the charges that Telekom may impose for access to the ducts. Since 2025 information on free duct capacity has also been accessible in the Bundesnetzagentur’s infrastructure atlas.
Reliable contract terms and conditions for competitors
Through its first decision of 21 July 2026, the Bundesnetzagentur has now put the last building block in place and in conclusion clarified the contractual conditions under which a requesting party will be able to access Telekom’s ducts in the coming years.
Throughout the proceedings the companies have repeatedly pointed out that their use of the ducts has less to do with building a fibre network parallel to that of Telekom, but instead use of the access is intended primarily to provide fibre to those areas that do not yet have access to it. Access to the ducts thus plays an important role in competitive fibre rollout.
The access agreement now determined covers a minimum period of five years. Telekom may not change any contractual terms and conditions during this period.
At the same time as the Telekom contract decision, two further decisions concerning Glasfaser NordWest GmbH & Co. KG and GlasfaserPlus GmbH were made at an earlier stage of the proceedings. As affiliated undertakings of Telekom, the two network operators are likewise bound to grant access to their ducts. They can now use the Bundesnetzagentur’s evaluations related to Telekom as a guide in the further course of the proceedings.