What Fraenk does

Fraenk is a digital-only mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) brand launched in 2021 by Telekom Deutschland GmbH, with operational implementation handled by congstar GmbH (a Deutsche Telekom subsidiary based in Cologne). The service operates on Telekom's D-Netz mobile infrastructure, providing customers with 5G access at speeds up to 50 Mbit/s, allnet flat voice and SMS within Germany, EU roaming, and either 25 GB or 50 GB of monthly data at €10 or €15 per month respectively. The entire customer lifecycle — sign-up, contract management, tariff changes, EU roaming activation, data add-ons, SIM replacement, and cancellation — is managed exclusively through the Fraenk mobile app on iOS and Android, with optional eSIM provisioning for instant digital activation and physical SIM delivery via Deutsche Post for legacy devices. There are no physical retail locations, sales representatives, or third-party resellers.

The go-to-market motion is product-led growth: the only acquisition channel is the Fraenk app distributed through the iOS App Store and Google Play, supplemented by an in-app referral program ('fraenk for friends') that grants both referrer and referee +5 GB of permanent data per successful signup, capped at 20 referrals per customer. The customer base skews toward individual consumers seeking transparent pricing, no contract lock-in (monthly cancellable), and protection from bill shocks via default blocking of premium numbers and third-party services; secondary segments include parents seeking children's plans with parental controls and prepaid users migrating to a simpler postpaid experience. Supplementary monetization includes usage-based add-ons (+25 GB for €5/month, a 5 GB data pass for €5 valid 31 days, an Unlimited Day Flat at €7 for 24 hours, and EU international calling at €0.20/minute and €0.05/SMS).

Fraenk has accumulated brand equity through multiple design and customer-satisfaction awards, including Red Dot Award 2021 across six design categories, Deutscher Digital Award 2021 (Silver), Webby Award 2021 Honoree, back-to-back Connect Netztest 'Sehr gut' ratings in 2024 and 2025, and the #1 ranking in SZ Institut Top 10 Kundenzufriedenheit 2026 out of 701 brands surveyed by YouGov. App store standing is approximately 4.7+ stars across both stores with cumulative ratings of 4.7 million+. Revenue, active subscriber counts, and financial details are not publicly disclosed, but the cumulative app footprint implies a consumer base in the hundreds of thousands to low millions. The legal entity operating Fraenk is Telekom Deutschland GmbH, headquartered at Landgrabenweg 149 in Bonn, with the operational development team located at congstar GmbH in Cologne.

Name

Fraenk

Legal name

Telekom Deutschland GmbH

Website

https://fraenk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fraenk is a digital-only mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) brand of Telekom Deutschland, offering €10–€15/month postpaid plans on Telekom's D-Netz with full app-based contract management, targeting German consumers seeking transparent, no-contract, monthly-cancellable mobile service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Telecommunications (Consumer MVNO)

NAICS

Telecommunications Resellers and Agents for Wireless Telecommunication Services (51712)

SIC

Radiotelephone Communications (4812)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Mobile Network Operators (Retail MNOs) (HDAIAAAA)

Keywords

• Mobile virtual network operator
• App-based mobile tariff
• Postpaid mobile flatrate
• Contract-free mobile plan
• Digital MVNO service

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Monthly Mobile Service Subscription: Recurring monthly postpaid subscription for mobile voice and data services. Customers pay a fixed monthly fee (€10 for 25 GB or €15 for 50 GB) with automatic monthly billing via SEPA direct debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal. No minimum contract term - monthly cancellable. Revenue is entirely subscription-based with no usage-based charges for domestic services.
2. Data Add-ons and Extensions: Additional data options purchased on top of base plan: +25 GB monthly add-on for €5, Extra-Daten 5 GB one-time pass for €5 (valid 31 days), and Unlimited Day Flat for €7 (24 hours unlimited data). EU international calling available as optional add-on at €0.20/minute and €0.05/SMS.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fraenk is a fully digital, app-based mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) brand sold directly to individual consumers in Germany on the Telekom D-Netz. It offers two monthly postpaid tariffs — 25 GB for €10 or 50 GB for €15 — both with allnet flat voice/SMS, EU roaming (including Switzerland), 5G access up to 50 Mbit/s, free number portability, optional eSIM and optional usage-based data add-ons, all managed end-to-end through a mobile app with no fixed contract term.

Product overview

Fraenk is a fully digital mobile phone service operated by congstar GmbH (a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom), offering a single-tier postpaid tariff structure with no contract term. The core offering is the fraenk flat with two data tiers (25 GB and 50 GB), both including allnet flat calling/SMS, EU roaming, and 5G access. The service is managed exclusively through the fraenk App. Supplementary products include the eSIM option for digital activation, the fraenk for friends referral program (providing +5 GB per recruited friend up to 20 friends), the children's tariff (with restricted premium services), and data add-ons (+25 GB Extra-Daten and Unlimited Day Flat). Fraenk positions itself as a prepaid alternative with the convenience of automatic postpaid billing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• fraenk for friends: Referral program offering +5GB per month for each friend referred, up to 20 friends.
• fraenk eSIM

Products and services

• fraenk flat (25 GB and 50 GB postpaid mobile tariffs) Postpaid mobile phone tariff offering 25 GB for €10/month or 50 GB for €15/month on the Telekom D-Netz, with allnet flat voice and SMS in Germany, EU roaming (including Switzerland), 5G access up to 50 Mbit/s, free number portability and no contract term; designed for individual consumers and managed entirely through the fraenk App.
• fraenk App iOS and Android application that handles the full Fraenk customer lifecycle — registration with ID verification, tariff selection and changes, eSIM or physical SIM activation, EU roaming control, data usage monitoring, add-on purchases, payment method management, cancellation and in-app chat support.
• fraenk eSIM Digital embedded SIM option for eSIM-capable smartphones, enabling instant activation and dual-SIM functionality without waiting for a physical SIM card, provisioned free of charge through the Fraenk App.
• Handyvertrag für Kinder (mobile contract for children) Children-targeted postpaid mobile plan priced at €10 (25 GB) or €15 (50 GB), with premium-rate numbers, third-party services and paid SMS blocked by default to protect against bill shock, plus standard parental controls via the Fraenk App.
• Extra-Daten and Unlimited Day Flat data add-ons Optional data add-ons for Fraenk tariff customers: a +25 GB monthly pass for €5, a 5 GB one-time data pass for €5 valid 31 days, and a 24-hour Unlimited Day Flat for €7, bookable up to 10 times per month via datapass.de.

Quantifiable outcome

• €10/month for 25 GB with unlimited calls/SMS - 50% cheaper than typical full-price Telekom plans
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Telekom Deutschland GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFraenk is a brand of Telekom Deutschland GmbH. The service utilizes Telekom's D-Netz (D-network) mobile infrastructure, providing customers with access to Germany's highest quality mobile network. Fraenk operates as an MVNO under the Telekom umbrella, with Telekom providing network access, billing infrastructure, and brand backing. Fraenk is developed and realized by congstar GmbH on behalf of Telekom.
• congstar GmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partnercongstar GmbH, based in Cologne (Bayenwerft 12-14, 50678 Köln), is responsible for realizing and further developing the Fraenk service for Telekom Deutschland. Managed by Daniel Mirovsky and Stephen Tesch, congstar handles the operational implementation, app development, and customer service processes for the Fraenk brand.
• Deutsche PostminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeutsche Post serves as the logistics partner for physical SIM card delivery. Customers receive their SIM cards within 1-2 business days via Deutsche Post shipping. This is a fulfillment partnership rather than a sales channel.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• WinSIM: WinSIM is a Drillisch-group discount mobile brand in Germany offering low-cost tariffs on Telefonica O2 network.Comparable in targeting price-sensitive German consumers with no-contract postpaid plans and online/app-driven service.
• Klarmobil: Klarmobil is a German online MVNO offering discounted postpaid and prepaid mobile plans across D-Netz, O2, and Vodafone networks. Comparable in digital-first distribution, transparent pricing, and target segments (price-sensitive consumers, families).
• Aldi Talk: Aldi Talk is a major German discount mobile brand (MVNO on Telefonica O2 network) offering low-cost prepaid and postpaid plans targeting mass-market consumers. It competes directly with Fraenk on price transparency and simplicity in the German value segment.
• Congstar: Congstar is the sister subsidiary of Fraenk — both are Telekom Deutschland-owned MVNOs operating on the D-Netz with no-contract postpaid offerings. Fraenk is operationally implemented by Congstar GmbH, making Congstar its closest internal comparable in product, target market, and pricing model.
• Tchibo Mobil: Tchibo Mobil is a German retailer-MVNO offering low-cost prepaid mobile plans bundled with Tchibo's retail customer base. Comparable in targeting value-conscious German consumers with simplified, contract-free mobile offerings.
• 1&1 Drillisch: 1&1 (Drillisch) is the largest mobile virtual network operator in Germany and a direct competitor to Fraenk, offering discount postpaid/prepaid plans across its own 1&1, Yourfone, Smartmobil, WinSIM, and PremiumSIM brands. Comparable in targeting price-sensitive German consumers with app-driven experiences.

Regional players

• Saturn Mobile: Saturn Mobile is a retailer-affiliated German mobile offer providing simple mobile plans through Saturn's electronics retail footprint. It competes with Fraenk on simplicity and price, though its distribution model (retail-tied) is structurally different.

Emerging players

• Giffgaff: Giffgaff is a UK-based digital-first MVNO running on O2's network with a community-driven, app-managed model. It mirrors Fraenk's product-led growth, app-based support, and member-referral dynamics in a different geography, making it a strong model-peer.
• Mint Mobile: Mint Mobile is a US-based digital-first MVNO (acquired by T-Mobile US) that pioneered the app-driven, transparent, no-contract model Fraenk replicates. Comparable in product-led acquisition, premium-network-wrapped-into-discount pricing, and digital-only customer experience.

Broad incumbents

• O2 (Telefónica Deutschland): O2 is Germany's #2 mobile network operator and runs its own discount sub-brands (O2 Free, Blau, Fonic) that compete with Fraenk. While not an MVNO, its discount tariffs and increasingly digital onboarding create direct price and feature competition for Fraenk.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fraenk_de
• Instagraminstagram.com/fraenk.de
• Facebookfacebook.com/fraenk.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fraenk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fraenk