Gelsen-Net
Gelsen-Net is a regional German telecommunications provider and IT system house operating a 1,000+ km fiber optic network across eight North Rhine-Westphalia cities, serving over 40,000 residential, business, and housing-industry customers with internet, telephony, TV, cloud, and IT security services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersGelsenkirchen, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Gelsen-Net does
GELSEN-NET Kommunikationsgesellschaft mbH is a regional telecommunications provider and IT system house founded in 1983 and headquartered in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The company builds and operates its own fiber optic (Glasfaser) network spanning over 1,000 kilometers across eight North Rhine-Westphalia cities (Bottrop, Castrop-Rauxel, Gelsenkirchen, Gladbeck, Herten, Marl, Oberhausen, and Recklinghausen), using FTTH (Fiber to the Home) technology delivering speeds up to 1 Gbit/s. It serves over 40,000 customers, including more than 2,000 companies, across three primary segments: private/residential customers, business customers, and the housing industry (Wohnungswirtschaft). The company runs its own data center and manages infrastructure including LoRaWAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, and 5G campus solutions, and participates in the Ruhr-CIX internet exchange as part of the Ruhr-Backbone cooperation network.
Revenue is generated through recurring subscription services (residential internet, telephony, and TV bundled over fiber), managed IT services for business customers (network connectivity, cloud/storage via OPEN GELSEN-CLOUD, IT security, DDoS protection, and the BSI-recommended CyberRisikoCheck), fiber connection services for housing companies, and an open-access wholesale model that lets other telecommunications providers purchase capacity on its fiber infrastructure. Go-to-market combines direct sales (customer office in Gelsenkirchen, customer portal, online shop, telephone consultation, enterprise field sales) with channel partnerships, and marketing through digital channels, PR, and the long-running Make-IT event series. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, with internet tiers offered at 100, 300, 600, and 1,000 Mbit/s.
The company is a public-private entity jointly owned by GELSENWASSER AG (51%) and Stadtwerke Gelsenkirchen GmbH (49%, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of the City of Gelsenkirchen). It employs more than 130 people plus 15 apprentices, is led by managing directors Thomas Dettenberg (since 2004, spokesperson), Carsten Wick (since 2018), and Julia Kaufmann, and is overseen by a 10-member supervisory board chaired by Dr. Agnes Janda. It was recognized as "Arbeitgeber der Zukunft" (Employer of the Future) in 2024 by the Deutsches Innovationsinstitut.
Gelsen-Net firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gelsen-Net
- Legal name
- GELSEN-NET Kommunikationsgesellschaft mbH
- Website
- https://gelsen-net.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Gelsen-Net is a regional German telecommunications provider and IT system house operating a 1,000+ km fiber optic network across eight North Rhine-Westphalia cities, serving over 40,000 residential, business, and housing-industry customers with internet, telephony, TV, cloud, and IT security services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gelsen-Net industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Operators (HDAIACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wholesale Fixed Access & Bitstream Providers (HDAIABAF), Rural & Universal Service Fixed Broadband Providers (HDAIABAJ), Carrier Ethernet & Wavelength Wholesale (E-Line/E-LAN, OTN, lambda) (HDAIAEAB)
Keywords
Where Gelsen-Net is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gelsenkirchen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gelsen-Net business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Residential Fiber Services: Internet, telephony, and TV services for private customers through fiber optic connections. Subscription-based recurring revenue model with monthly billing.
- Business IT Services: IT network services, IT security, cloud solutions, and storage services for commercial customers. Includes stand-alone connections, site networking, and DDoS protection.
- Wholesale Network Access: Open access wholesale model allowing other telecommunications providers to purchase network capacity on the Gelsen-Net fiber infrastructure.
- Housing Industry Services: Fiber connection services for housing companies and property management, enabling digital infrastructure for residential buildings.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Gelsen-Net product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gelsen-Net delivers fiber optic-based internet, telephony, and TV services to private customers, plus IT network, IT security, cloud, and storage services to business customers, and dedicated fiber connectivity solutions to the housing industry. The company operates an owned 1,000+ km FTTH network and its own data center across eight cities in the Emscher-Lippe/Ruhr region, and provides wholesale open-access network capacity to other providers.
Product overview
Gelsen-Net is a regional telecommunications provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of fiber optic-based services for residential, business, and housing industry customers. For private customers, the core offerings include high-speed Internet (up to 1,000 Mbit/s), telephony, and TV services delivered via fiber optic connections, complemented by hardware rentals, installation services, and Dual Stack IPv4/IPv6 support. Business customers receive integrated IT solutions across three pillars: IT-Netze (network infrastructure including fiber connections, LoRaWAN, and WiFi), IT-Services (cloud solutions and application services backed by their own data center), and IT-Sicherheit (security solutions including firewalls and DDoS protection). Notable add-on services include the CyberRisikoCheck for cybersecurity risk assessment, the Digital Hub Ruhr innovation showcase, customer portal, webmail, and infrastructure planning tools (Leitungsauskunft). The company operates its own 1,000+ kilometer fiber network across eight NRW cities, serving over 40,000 customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Digital Hub Ruhr: A multifunctional innovation space of 160 square meters established by GELSEN-NET as one of four founding partners, showcasing digital future projects for networks, sensor technology, applications, and digital ecosystems.
- OPEN GELSEN-CLOUD
- Ruhr-Backbone
Products and services
- Glasfaser-Internet (Privatkunden) High-speed fiber optic internet connectivity for residential customers with speeds up to 1,000 Mbit/s, providing reliable and stable connections for home use.
- Telefonie Voice over fiber telephony services bundled with internet packages, providing landline connectivity over the fiber network for residential customers.
- TV (Internet-TV) Television services delivered via fiber optic connection, offering digital TV programming integrated with internet service for residential customers.
- Hardware (Glasfaser-Hardware) WLAN routers and other hardware equipment required for fiber optic internet connectivity, available for purchase by residential customers.
- Installationsservice Professional installation services for fiber optic connections, including Dual Stack setup and on-site technical support for residential customers.
- IT-Netze (Geschäftskunden) Enterprise-grade network infrastructure solutions including fiber optic connections, LoRaWAN, Free WiFi networks, and high-quality telephony for business customers.
- IT-Services (Geschäftskunden) Customized IT services for businesses including flexible cloud solutions and individual application services, supported by Gelsen-Net's own data center operations.
- IT-Sicherheit (Geschäftskunden) IT security solutions including firewalls and DDoS protection services to safeguard sensitive business data from cyber attacks for business customers.
- Storage & Cloud / Server-Lösungen (OPEN GELSEN-CLOUD) Cloud and server solutions enabling businesses to store data and access flexible computing resources, supported by Gelsen-Net's own data center (marketed under the OPEN GELSEN-CLOUD sub-brand for digital sovereignty).
- CyberRisikoCheck BSI-recommended cybersecurity risk assessment service based on DIN SPEC 27076 guidelines, helping businesses identify IT security vulnerabilities.
- Wholesale Open Access Network Capacity Open access wholesale fiber capacity and FTTH bitstream access that allows other telecommunications providers to use Gelsen-Net's network infrastructure to serve their own customers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 45% fiber coverage rate (61,000 of 156,000 homes passed) in Gelsenkirchen market area
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Gelsen-Net
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Gelsen-Net technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Gelsen-Net partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TelemarkcoreFourth partner in Ruhr-Backbone cooperation network with regional network and data center operators DOKOM21, GELSEN-NET, and GLASFASER RUHR. Foundation is the new Telemark data center construction in Menden. Partnership expands network reach and provides redundant data center capacity.
- vitroconnectcoreDigital platform partnership for automated fiber network management. The CAP platform enables seamless communication between network operators, service providers, and customers through standardized interfaces and product codes. Multiple wholesale models implemented including FTTH Bitstream Access to 1&1 Telecom and network purchasing from Westconnect.
- WestconnectcoreFTTH Bitstream partnership covering approximately 250,000 households in seven Ruhr area cities (Bottrop, Castrop-Rauxel, Gelsenkirchen, Gladbeck, Herten, Marl, Recklinghausen). Mutual network access agreement enabling customers to choose between E.ON Highspeed and Gelsen-Net products on the shared fiber infrastructure.
- 1&1 VersatelcoreOpen access cooperation enabling 1&1 Versatel to offer fast fiber internet services on Gelsen-Net's fiber infrastructure across eight Ruhr area cities. Access to over 1,000 kilometers of fiber network enabling enterprise customers to be connected with minimal construction effort.
- DOKOM21coreFounding partner of Ruhr-Backbone network and co-operator of Ruhr-CIX internet exchange. DOKOM21 is the largest data center operator in the Ruhr area by number of locations and total space.
- GLASFASER RUHRcoreFounding partner of Ruhr-Backbone network. Company of Stadtwerke Bochum Gruppe building city-wide fiber network in Bochum, providing sustainable technologies and energy-efficient data centers.
- VerizonminorPartnership in Digital Hub Ruhr (DHR) initiative. Verizon provides global hub network connectivity linking Digital Hub Ruhr with 15+ additional innovation hubs worldwide, showcasing 5G, AI, and sensor technologies.
- Wirtschaftsförderung GelsenkirchenminorJoint organizer of Make-IT events and Security Day conferences. Collaboration aims to strengthen IT awareness and digital security among regional SMEs.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Gelsen-Net competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- M-net Telekommunikation: Bavarian regional fiber and fixed-line operator owned by municipal utilities (Stadtwerke München, Augsburg, etc.). Closely analogous business model to Gelsen-Net: municipal-utility-owned FTTH provider serving residential, business, and housing-industry customers in a defined metropolitan region.
- NetCologne: Regional telecom operator owned by municipal utilities (Stadtwerke Köln) providing fiber internet, telephony, TV, and B2B services in the Cologne/Bonn area. Same utility-telco ownership structure and product mix as Gelsen-Net, but operating in a non-overlapping NRW geography.
- EWE TEL: Telecommunications arm of EWE AG serving northern and western Germany with fiber, DSL, and mobile services. Operates under a comparable municipal-utility ownership model and pursues regional fiber expansion; geographically adjacent to Gelsen-Net's NRW footprint but does not directly overlap.
Direct peers
- Deutsche Glasfaser: One of Germany's largest FTTH-only operators (EQT-backed) rolling out fiber to rural and suburban areas nationwide. Competes with Gelsen-Net for housing-industry and municipal fiber contracts in Germany and pursues an open-access business model directly comparable to Gelsen-Net's wholesale approach.
- Telemark: Regional fiber and data center operator in NRW that joined the Ruhr-Backbone consortium (with Gelsen-Net, DOKOM21, GLASFASER RUHR) in 2025. Operates comparable FTTH and carrier services in overlapping NRW geographies with similar municipal-utility heritage.
- 1&1 Versatel: German B2B fiber and fixed-network carrier using open-access infrastructure including Gelsen-Net's network across 8 Ruhr cities. Directly comparable enterprise fiber-connectivity, site-networking, and managed services portfolio targeting the same SME and enterprise customer segments.
- DOKOM21: Regional telecommunications provider in the Ruhr area and co-founding partner with Gelsen-Net in the Ruhr-Backbone network and Ruhr-CIX internet exchange. Operates its own fiber infrastructure, data centers, and serves residential and business customers across an overlapping NRW footprint with comparable product mix.
- GLASFASER RUHR: Stadtwerke Bochum Group subsidiary building city-wide FTTH networks in Bochum and surrounding Ruhr municipalities. Co-founding Ruhr-Backbone partner with Gelsen-Net; offers directly comparable fiber residential and B2B services in adjacent cities within the same Ruhr region.
- Westconnect: E.ON subsidiary deploying FTTH across the Ruhr region, with whom Gelsen-Net has a mutual FTTH Bitstream partnership covering 250,000 households across 7 cities. Direct infrastructure overlap and shared open-access arrangements make them simultaneously a competitor and wholesale partner.
Broad incumbents
- Deutsche Telekom: Germany's incumbent telecom operator with nationwide copper, FTTH, and mobile networks. The dominant competitor in Gelsen-Net's served geographies; drives the DSL-to-fiber migration cycle and sets the baseline for pricing and service expectations across the German broadband market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gelsen-Net social profiles
Digital presenceGelsen-Net financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gelsen-Net leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Gelsen-Net funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gelsen-Net M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gelsen-Net
What does Gelsen-Net do?
Gelsen-Net delivers fiber optic-based internet, telephony, and TV services to private customers, plus IT network, IT security, cloud, and storage services to business customers, and dedicated fiber connectivity solutions to the housing industry. The company operates an owned 1,000+ km FTTH network and its own data center across eight cities in the Emscher-Lippe/Ruhr region, and provides wholesale open-access network capacity to other providers.
Is Gelsen-Net a public or private company?
Gelsen-Net is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Gelsen-Net founded?
Gelsen-Net was founded in 1983. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Gelsen-Net based?
Gelsen-Net is headquartered in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Gelsen-Net make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Residential Fiber Services are the primary driver. The others are business IT Services, wholesale Network Access and housing Industry Services.
Who are Gelsen-Net's main competitors?
Regional players on record are M-net Telekommunikation, NetCologne and EWE TEL. Direct peers are Deutsche Glasfaser, Telemark, 1&1 Versatel, DOKOM21, GLASFASER RUHR and Westconnect. Deutsche Telekom is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Gelsen-Net have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gelsen-Net.
What industry is Gelsen-Net in?
Gelsen-Net's product category is Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIACAB, Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Operators, with a secondary code of HDAIABAF, Wholesale Fixed Access & Bitstream Providers. Its NAICS code is 517111 and its SIC code is 4813.