Telefónica Germany
Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG is a telecommunications company in Germany. Under the brand O2, a mobile network is operated, which is composed of more than 18,300 GSM and UMTS base stations 11,900. The company also offers broadband and landline connections. The subsidiary of Telefónica Germany Holding has 25.4 million customers, including 19.3 million mobile customers. The company is the fourth largest in terms of subscribers mobile network operators in Germany. ( 31 December 2012)
- 2.1 mobile
- 2.2 Mobile collaborations
- 2.3 Mobile Internet access
- 2.4 phones and devices
- 2.5 landline and DSL
- 2.6 television
- 2.7 hosting
- 3.1 GSM network
- 3.2 UMTS network
- 3.3 LTE network
- 4.1 Customer number
- 4.2 ARPU
- 4.3 Telefónica as a sponsor
- 6.1 National Roaming
- 6.2 Price increase for special numbers
- 6.3 Limitation of calling cards and voice chat
- 6.4 No three-way conference for private clients
History
Viag intercom
In 1995, the mobile phone company Viag Intercom was founded. It was 45% owned by the VIAG AG (later E.ON ), and the BT Group holds 45 % and the Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor. The license to build a GSM network, the company received two years later in February 1997. On October 1, 1998 Viag Intercom launched its network operations in first eight metropolitan areas. In 1999 followed the introduction of the product ion, with the so-called within a home zone calls to landline similar prices could be conducted and the participants was reached at a separate landline number.
On 17 August 2000 Viag Intercom received a total of six UMTS licenses DM 16.52 billion. In the same year the BT Group took over the company completely after E.ON withdrew from telecommunications. As part of the strategy of separation of mobile communications business from the rest of the new parent company BT Group split in 2001 into the company BT Ignite ( landline ) and mmO2 ( mobile). Also, the German subsidiary Viag Intercom performed this separation and sold the fixed-line business to the BT Group.
O ₂ Germany
Then the name was adapted to the mother in 2002, and it was the O2 brand. To avoid confusion with the Vodafone mobile subsidiary Mannesmann Mobile GmbH and its former designation D2, an agreement was with Vodafone was not to impose in Germany on the spelling of O2 and to use only O2 or o2.
In 2003, O2 Germany founded with several other foreign carriers the Starmap Mobile Alliance. It was hoped that such savings through higher purchasing power over network equipment and terminal Rather locations. At the same time were cross-network services, such as charging a prepaid card, possible having a credit card of a alliance member.
Four years after the acquisition of the UMTS license O2 launched after building first UMTS base stations on 1 July 2004 the sale of UMTS mobile phones to consumers.
On 31 October 2005 the Spanish company Telefónica announced buy the mobile phone operator O2 with his daughters in Germany, the UK and Ireland for a total of 26 billion euros.
In October of the following year launched the O2 own DSL and landline package, with speeds of up to 16 Mbit / s This is implemented via the DSL network of former sister company Telefónica Germany. At the IFA 2007 in Berlin O2 presented before its own discount brand FONIC. As the first provider Fonic broke through the 10 - cent stamp with a conversation at that time the price of 9.9 cents / minute. On 1 October of the same year, the then O2 Germany CEO Rudolf Groeger was from his post. Was succeeded by Jaime Smith Basterra.
Telefónica O ₂ Germany
In June 2008, is finally out of the Telefónica O2 Germany O2 Germany, bringing the membership to be pointed out to the global Telefónica Group. A year later, Jaime Smith Basterra ended after only two years his work for the company to pursue new opportunities in the Far East. He was succeeded by René Schuster, the end of January 2014, the company left. Since February 2014 Rachel Empey and Mark Haas to lead the company as a double peak.
On 14 August 2009 the Telefónica Germany GmbH was merged with about 450 employees at Telefónica O2 Germany GmbH & Co. OHG.
End of January 2010, Telefónica O2 Germany received permission from the European Commission to take over the Internet provider HanseNet with its Alice brand for 900 million euros from the Italian Telecom Italia. Thus, the company increased its Internet and fixed-line business. 2011 Telefónica was the company name in Germany. O2 continues to exist as a product trademark for private and business customers.
Telefónica Germany
Since April 1, 2011, therefore, the company trades after completion of integration of landline service provider HanseNet under the new name Telefónica Germany.
The headquarters of Telefónica Germany is located in Munich at the edge of the Olympic Park at the Georg -Brauchle ring, where the majority of the workforce is housed in a skyscraper Uptown Munich. Parts of customer service are located in Nuremberg, Teltow, Brandenburg, Bremen, Neubrandenburg, Schwerin, Osnabrück, Dortmund, Chemnitz, Potsdam and also in Uptown itself
On July 23, 2013 it was announced that Telefónica would like to take over the KPN subsidiary E-Plus. The merger with O2 of the largest German mobile operators would arise if competition authorities and the general meetings of Telefónica Germany and KPN agree.
On 21 October 2013, the sale of the fiber-optic network in Hamburg in Versatel was announced. The sale is expected in the long term it allow the complete fiber network Versatel to use and designed to enable the connection of additional mobile stations with fiberglass.
Telefónica Germany Holding
In June 2012, it was announced that the Spanish parent company Telefónica plan, a minority share of the company on the stock market to sell. For this reason, the Telefónica Germany Holding AG was founded, which grew out of the renaming of the Telefónica Germany Verwaltungs GmbH and Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG has a wholly owned subsidiary. The IPO of this new company was completed on 30 October 2012, and was the largest on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2007. Were issued nearly 259 million shares at a price of 5.60 euros per share, which Telefónica took 1.45 billion euros. This means that about 23 % of the company is no longer owned by the Telefónica Europe, but in free float. On the first trading day, the price rose by 4%. It was announced that a dividend of EUR 500 million to shareholders in 2013. In March 2013, the shares were included in the Nasdaq.
Products
Mobile
O2 was a pioneer in online contracts, in which the entire process of mobile phone contract expires on the Internet or hotlines. In return, the customer receives an online advantage in the form of reductions or extra services.
With the introduced in 1999 under the name VIAG tariff " ion " enabled the company to the customer, in a specific, defined area ( the so-called " home zone " ) to phone at a lower price. The customer received both a landline number and a mobile number for its SIM card. Was located in the region of the user arbitrarily selectable in the O2 network Home Zone, so he telephoned to landline similar prices and his mobile phone was for callers available under a landline number. Left the user the Home Zone, He was not available for callers only under his mobile phone number, unless the customer had set up a paid call forwarding for this case. In response to the market success of mobile discounter O2 had from November 2006 to April 2009 with ion S ( without a cell phone ) a puttable monthly ion - term contract with no charges, and no minimum sales on offer, which was based on the low per-minute prices of competitors.
From November 2004 to April 2005 tariffs could be booked in the "Active" against one months extra charge of five euros, the so-called "After Work Pack". This was the first mobile Part-time flat rate in Germany, which allowed daily from 18 to 22 clock unlimited calls to German landline as well as within the mobile network from O2.
In May 2009, O2 converted to the collective portfolio. Core of the new marketing strategy was the tariff O2 o, which was positioned as an alternative to discount offers. The terminable monthly tariff without basic charges and minimum turnover led a as " cost airbag " designated cost limit for calls and SMS within Germany at 50 euros a month. At the same time the tariff was " ion " is set. Today, comparable with the " ion " fare home zone for O2 o Rate is bookable at an additional monthly fee of 5 euros and a one-time setup fee of 15 euros.
With O2 on in January 2010 started a new business customer tariff. This gets a voice flat rate for all German fixed and mobile networks as well as an unlimited data plan. Since July 2010, called the business customer tariff O2 on Business.
The prepaid offer of O2 was marketed under the name O2 LOOP long. As of May 2009, there were, however, only the newly introduced tariff O2 o as a prepaid service, the previous LOOP tariffs were not offered new customers longer. Since August 2012, the two tariffs O2 Loop and Loop O2 Smartphone actively marketed and offered both new and existing customers.
With the o2 Blue All-in tariffs, o2 launched on 1 March 2013, a new tariff portfolio, which includes four different All-Net flat rates. The rates offered by o2 limit all domestic telephone and SMS costs on a fixed price and differ mainly in the included volume contained mobile data.
End of 2013, O2 aims to adopt the more often shifted service Joyn.
Mobile collaborations
Since 2004, mobile phone deals exist in cooperation with the company Tchibo under the name Tchibo Mobil. These are regarded as the first attempts by a provider in the German mobile discounter market. Since 2006, mobile tariffs were offered in cooperation with AOL. Since spring 2007, they will also HanseNet to which there are links on the parent companies, marketed under the name Alice. The mobile service provider Freenet AG also realized since the spring of 2007, the first time offered in Germany mobile flat rate to all national networks through the network of O2.
Since September 2007, there are O2 with Fonic the first own discounters.
Mobile Internet access
O2 offered from September 2003 to March 2008 with the Surf & Email Pack is the first provider in Germany a flat rate for mobile Internet use via WAP browser. Their range of use has expanded since the advent of more powerful mobile HTML browsers especially on smartphones increasingly on all Web sites. Since February 2008, the Pack is not offered anymore. Since then, various Internet - packs can be booked. The Internet packs are not restricted to certain Internet services as opposed to the surf & e- mail pack.
From 15 April 2005, a high speed wireless internet access was possible with O2 Surf @ home within a desired range. To this end, a surf @ Home box called UMTS router was used, the data signals received in the UMTS network and passes it via a network cable and / or wireless LAN to one or more PCs. This marketing concept was interesting, especially for customers who wanted to break away completely from landline or could not get a DSL connection. O2 Surf @ home has been set for new customers in the course of the restructuring of the tariffs in the fall of 2007. New customers should instead go through a device connected to the PC with a mobile phone or notebook UMTS data card online. Since autumn 2008, there is again a similar strategy with the " O2 Surf Stick". With this offer, however, there is no geographical limitation, since the stick can be used in Germany.
Since July 2011, offers O2 tariffs for the use of its own LTE network. The tariffs are initially only intended for use at home with a LTE router. They offer a speed of up to 7.2 Mbit / s, which is throttled after a certain amount of data.
As of March 12, 2012, Telefónica, in cooperation with Kaspersky Labs holders of O2 mobile phone contracts at an additional cost service, with the smartphone from malware and phishing attacks can be protected. Even a child lock and a lock in case of loss of the mobile device are included in the package.
Phones and devices
O2 has been active for quite some time to trade in mobile phones, smartphones and tablets. Almost all devices offered can also be purchased without a term contract and do not have a SIM lock. Instead of immediate payment of the full purchase price O2 offers a payment over 12 or 24 months. The network operator was one of the first dealers in Germany, who shipped the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 without a contract. By-products of other companies surfsticks offered under its own brand, which the Chinese network equipment supplier Huawei O2.
Landline and DSL
Since October 27, 2006, there are fixed-line broadband connections and complete connection packets from Telefónica Germany at speeds of up to 16 Mbit / s ( ADSL2 ). In addition, VDSL -based connections with speeds up to 50 Mbit / s are available. Used its own DSL concentrator and backbone. Only the so- called last mile is rented by Telekom. The on DSL connection associated telephone connection is realized as a VoIP connection and provides all standard ISDN features.
End of January 2010, in Telefónica O2 Germany the permission of the European Commission to take over the Internet provider HanseNet with its Alice brand for 900 million euros from the Italian Telecom Italia.
Alice marketed its telecommunications solutions nationwide. The core business of Alice was based on the fully unbundled local loop and thus on the ability to connect through proprietary technology in the exchanges the participants directly with the own network of Telefónica. The last mile was it rented by Telekom Germany. Since market entry, all marketed tariffs terminated at short notice, while most competitors now fully exploit the lawful binding contract of two years.
16 January 2012 ended the use of the brand Alice by Telefonica Germany. Since then, the broadband portfolio is also marketed on the O2 brand.
O2 broadband comes in line with the mobile tariffs in 3 variants (S, M and L). Furthermore, additional options are available, such as the speed option to increase surfing speed, security packages, international telephony packages, cloud computing or online video stores. The " combi advantage " are customers who both a mobile as well as fixed line / broadband contract from O2, a discount on the monthly bill. The Community & Family Flat permitted, with up to 5 mobile numbers and landline to call each other free of charge if they are running on the same customer number.
TV
Alice offered IPTV connections. The circuit of the television offer is only on Telefónica 's networks. Delivered a HomeBox that is connected to the DSL router and allows the use of the DSL line. With Alice TV, the customer was able to access the video - on- demand offering the Alice library and pause the program and record. The marketing was set in April 2012 and was maintained only for existing customers. At the end of 2013, the product has been discontinued.
Hosting
Telefónica Germany has for some time now also hosting services for large and medium-sized enterprises. In July 2011, the hosting business into a separate subsidiary, Telefónica Germany Online Services GmbH was spun off, which is to develop the area in Germany. In addition to managed hosting are under the O2 brand and standardized hosting solutions such as Microsoft Exchange, offered. Among the major customer in the hosting segment include, for example, Spiegel Online, Zalando or ProSiebenSat.1 Media. Telefónica Germany operates two data centers in Germany, one of them in cooperation with the Bertelsmann subsidiary Arvato.
Networks
GSM
The GSM network was launched on 1 October 1998 initially as a pure DCS 1800 mobile network ( "E - Net" ). For economic reasons, it was not initially like the other three networks expanded full coverage, but rather focused on urban areas and transport corridors.
To cover the remaining areas all three remaining German mobile networks could be used initially with a special realized via Swisscom roaming procedure. These contained the Viag Intercom SIM cards technically considered two different data sets, the Swiss SwissCom was activated by appending a " 1" to the actual PIN when you turn the phone. This Viag Intercom could use the international roaming agreement SwissCom for national roaming in Germany. The disadvantage, however, was that the customer was also registered in the network of Viag Intercom than SwissCom customer and thus the foreign network tariff has also been applied for calls to other Viag Intercom customers and the Home Zone also did not apply. Thus, the customer always had to re-register by switching off and restarting the device, depending on whether it just the home zone and / or network calls or the network coverage was more important.
Since 1999, the national roaming was limited to the network of T -Mobile; also this was gradually after completion of network expansion restricted in the following years ( barring so-called ).
In 2001 we introduced the first German mobile operator GPRS. Thus, data were for the first time in Germany the move with a speed of up to 55.6 kbit / s can be downloaded.
After they had received in 2006 reaching far stronger by the Federal Network Agency E-GSM frequencies, its own GSM network was expanded coverage in rural areas. In November 2008, Telefónica announced, now be able to supply 99 percent of the population with its own GSM network.
As of 2008, the own GSM network with EDGE was developed. Telefónica, focusing mainly on not supplied with UMTS areas. In November 2008 2600 stations were equipped with EDGE. In March 2009, O2 announced that the EDGE speed as the first German mobile operators from 220 kbit / s to 384 kbit / s to increase. This can be used with newer devices.
In early 2010, the T- Mobile roaming is set. At this time the GSM network with the help of 17,000 GSM base stations was almost fully available. In consequence, the roaming is unnecessary.
UMTS network
Since 1 July 2004, O2 customers can use their own UMTS network. In the past, could be shared with Active Data contracts also by the UMTS network of T -Mobile. Meanwhile, in all new contracts, only the access to its own UMTS network possible. On 1 December 2006, O2 has introduced as the third German wireless service provider T -Mobile and Vodafone HSDPA in some urban centers. Meanwhile, the entire UMTS network in the art is removed.
The end of 2008 were achieved with 57% UMTS and HSDPA with the extension 55% of the public of their own power supply. Thus, it is possible to surf at speeds of up to 7.2 Mbit / s. The end of 2008 the network operators began to upgrade its transmission facilities with HSUPA. This technique increased the upstream in the UMTS network of 384 kbit / s up to 5.76 Mbit / s
At the Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona O2 also announced the UMTS network using HSPA up to 28 Mbit / s speed. The first tests took place in Munich in the summer of 2009. Meanwhile located HSPA in some metropolitan areas in control mode.
LTE network
Beginning of September 2010, Telefónica took one of the first urban LTE pilot networks in Munich in operation that sends in the 2.6 gigahertz range. The second pilot network in urban hall is also ongoing. Since November 2010, the first rural communities to be supplied: In Teutschenthal near Halle and Ebersberg near Munich pilot networks were switched on by 800 - megahertz frequencies, probably added from the digital dividend. Since 1 July 2011, the LTE marketing has begun and can be offered in selected locations in the country now. Since March 31, 2013, the Telefónica Germany GmbH has started operation of its LTE network in Berlin.
Supplied from the April 26, 2013 o2 also the Dusseldorf area with LTE. After Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Nuremberg, Dresden and Leipzig has o2 so that the next German metropolis developed.
Company data
Number of customers
ARPU
The average customer revenues (ARPU ) stood in 2012 at 13.8 euros per month.
Telefónica as a sponsor
O2 sponsored the 2006 Formula 1 team BMW Sauber F1 Team. Furthermore, the Germany tour of the Natural Born Golfers and Mobile Movie Award will be financially supported. In addition, in appearance, the company is a regular sponsor of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. Since May 2004, O2 is the main sponsor of the German kayak Zweiers Tim Wieskötter and Ronald Rough.
O2 is since the beginning of 2005 an official partner of the German Ski Association. In November 2005 it was announced that Telefónica has sponsored the official reception of the Bavarian state government to Franz Beckenbauer's 60th birthday.
On 10 September 2008, the O2 World Berlin was opened with a capacity of up to 17,000 visitors. She is the host of numerous sports, music and entertainment events. The O2 World Berlin was built on the site of the former Berliner Ostgüterbahnhof railway station and is one of the most modern multi- function halls in the world.
In the summer of 2010 was also from Hamburg's Color Line Arena, the O2 World Hamburg. The multi-purpose arena is the home stadium of Hamburg Freezers and HSV Hamburg.
Corporate Responsibility
Since 2005, the company released - as well as the parent company Telefónica SA - An annual Corporate Responsibility Report ( Sustainability Report ) in accordance with the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative ( GRI). The report for fiscal year 2010 has been released in June 2011 and an independent audit review was subjected. Core issues of CR commitment are the youth media literacy project " Think Big ", which is carried out jointly with the German Children and Youth Foundation ( GCYF ), climate and environmental protection, and barrier-free telecommunication, especially for people with hearing impairment. These three emphases through Telefónica Germany regular stakeholder dialogues.
In the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI ), the parent company Telefónica SA is listed as a sustainable company in the telecommunications industry since September 2010.
Criticism
National roaming
In the course of one's network expansion, the so-called national roaming in the T -Mobile network has been gradually shut down by the end of 2009. In isolated cases, roaming has been turned off before O2 was able to secure the power supply through their own mobile phone masts. This meant that customers complained at affected sites suddenly worse network coverage, breaking off talks, slurred speech quality or worst about dead spots. O2 showed partial solubilisation unkulant and urged the customer's performance of contracts until the end of the term, although the mobile phone use at the customer site was no longer possible after the satisfactory roaming shutdown. The Munich District Court sentenced Telefónica in September 2007 to dismiss an affected customer from the contract. Later, a basic fee exemption was at the relevant grid losses by customers often offered over several months.
Price increase for special numbers
The end of 2006 changed the O2 price for calls to some numbers for all customers. These changes increased as the connection charges to 0180-5 numbers of then 25 cents per minute (off time) to 69 cents per minute. The company did not inform the Group's customers about these price increases. O2 refused extraordinary dismissals that are possible through unilateral contract modifications. The company justified this by relying on their own terms and conditions, after which the network operator should change the " fringe benefits " at any time desired without this would require notification to affected customers. Consumer centers, however, are of the opinion that it is not a fringe benefit, as the calls to the main benefits of a communications provider belongs. The courts hear the case differently. While the Munich District Court in its judgment the view of O2 confirmed ( AZ: 281 C 6003 /07), Charlottenburg District Court gave the right customers ( AZ: 237 C 58/ 07).
Limitation of calling cards and voice chat
In March 2008 it was announced that O2, E-Plus and Vodafone as well as the accessibility of the numbers of voice chat lines, as well as calling card providers severely impaired (for O2). These numbers are normal landline phone numbers that can be called free of charge as part of fixed flat rates and thus represent a high volume of calls for the provider. By limiting the customer is difficult to avoid the higher call charges for special numbers or international calls. In September 2008, O2 raised the limit in part on again.
No three-way conference for private clients
For private customers, no three-way conferencing ( 3PTY ) are offered. These are for business customers only available, but without them advertised or are contractually ..