willy.tel

What willy.tel does

willy.tel GmbH is a Hamburg-based regional telecommunications carrier delivering internet, fixed-line telephony, cable/IPTV television, and mobile services over its own proprietary fiber optic network in and around the Hamburg metropolitan region. The company operates a 1,400+ km fiber network (with 2,200+ km trunk routes) shared under a 2005 joint-operations partnership with wilhelm.tel GmbH (a Stadtwerke Norderstedt subsidiary), together covering approximately 35% of Hamburg households and serving more than 160,000 residential customers directly. The network supports FTTH, DOCSIS 3.0, VDSL, G.fast, Ethernet, VoIP/SIP, and carrier services including BGP routing and dark fiber leasing, with business bandwidth available from 10 Mbit/s to 10 Gbit/s symmetric.

The company's commercial offering is organized as a quadruple-play portfolio under the willy sub-brands: willy.web and willy.duoflat internet/phone tariffs (100 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s) priced from €27.90 to €49.90/month; willy.tv IPTV (smart at €7.90/month, premium at €12.90/month with DVR/restart) and willy.tv basic DVB-C cable (€4.90/month); and mobile tariffs ranging from a €1.00 budget tier to €27.90 all-inclusive (4–25 GB LTE) on the mobil.flat/mobil.basic brand family. Business customers access dedicated enterprise internet, business.fon SIP trunks (2–150 voice channels), Ethernet site networking, dark fiber, and BGP carrier packages, with a 99.0% service availability SLA. Pricing is subscription-recurring, predominantly month-to-month with no minimum contract term on most products.

willy.tel distributes via its website, four physical service centers in Hamburg-Wandsbek, Hamburg-Altona, Hamburg-Harburg, and Norderstedt, and dedicated field-sales teams for the Bauherren & Wohnungswirtschaft (property developers and housing industry) channel — where it acts as preferred supplier to 21 Hamburg housing cooperatives, 600+ property management companies, and SAGA/GWG. It is a privately held GmbH, founded in 1990 (originally as Thiele Kommunikationstechnik GmbH and renamed in 2008), and operates as part of the Thiele Unternehmensgruppe (a family-owned group with ~180 employees across willy.tel, Thiele Hauselectronic, and pentakom), led by Managing Directors Bernd Thielk, Tanja Thielk, and Gábor Csomor.

Name

willy.tel

Legal name

willy.tel GmbH

Website

https://willytel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

willy.tel is a Hamburg-based regional telecommunications carrier operating its own 1,400+ km fiber network to deliver internet, phone, TV, and mobile (quadruple-play) services to 160,000+ households and enterprise customers in and around Hamburg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Internet & Telecommunications Services

NAICS

Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Telecommunications Resellers and Agents for Wireless Telecommunication Services (51712)

SIC

Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841), Services-Telephone Interconnect Systems (7385), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) & Business Broadband (HDAIAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Carrier Ethernet & Wavelength Wholesale (E-Line/E-LAN, OTN, lambda) (HDAIAEAB)

Keywords

• Fiber optic internet
• Telecommunications services
• IPTV television
• Business connectivity
• Mobile voice data

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Internet & Phone Subscriptions: Monthly recurring subscription fees from residential and business internet and telephony services. Tariffs range from basic 100 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s fiber connections, with optional phone flatrate bundles (duoflat products).
2. Cable & IPTV Television: Monthly subscription revenue from cable TV (DVB-C via willy.tv basic) and IPTV packages (willy.tv smart and premium), plus optional international TV packages, HD add-ons, and Pay-TV.
3. Mobile Telecommunications: Monthly subscription fees for mobile plans ranging from basic voice/SMS to all-inclusive data bundles (4 GB to 25 GB) with LTE speeds.
4. Business Connectivity & Carrier Services: Enterprise internet connectivity (symmetric/asymmetric, 10 Mbit/s to 10 Gbit/s), Dark Fiber leasing, Ethernet site networking, BGP routing services, and SIP trunk solutions sold to business customers.
5. Add-on Services: Revenue from international TV channel packages, HD upgrades, recording storage upgrades, Pay-TV packages, and value-added services.
6. Willy.tv Hardware Rental: Rental revenue from willy.tv-Box set-top devices (5.00 EUR/month) and optional CI+ decryption modules for Pay-TV.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

willy.tel GmbH is a regional Hamburg-based telecommunications provider that operates its own independent 1,400+ km fiber optic network to deliver fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) internet, VoIP telephony, IPTV and cable television, and mobile services to residential and business customers. The company offers a comprehensive quadruple-play bundle including tiered internet plans (100 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s residential, up to 10 Gbit/s symmetric business), willy.tv IPTV packages, willy.tv basic cable TV, mobil.flat mobile tariffs, and enterprise connectivity such as Dark Fiber, Ethernet site networking, BGP routing, and SIP trunk business telephony.

Product overview

willy.tel is a regional telecommunications provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of internet, television, telephone, and mobile services primarily in the Hamburg metropolitan area. The consumer offering centers on willy.web and willy.duoflat internet packages (100-1,000 Mbit/s) bundled with VoIP telephony, complemented by willy.tv IPTV services (smart and premium tiers with 150+ channels, recording features, and multi-device streaming) and cable TV via willy.tv basic. Mobile services include the mobil.flat all-inclusive tariff (4-25 GB data options) and budget mobil.basic plan. The company operates a proprietary fiber optic network serving over 160,000 households. Business solutions encompass dedicated internet connections (10 Mbit/s to 10 Gbit/s), SIP-Trunk telephony (business.fon), site networking via Ethernet and Dark Fiber, plus MobyKlick public WLAN. Additional services include builder consultation and housing company support for property fiber installations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• willy.web: Internet and telephone service packages
• willy.duoflat
• willy.tv
• mobil.flat
• mobil.basic
• MobyKlick
• business.fon

Products and services

• willy.duoflat Internet & Phone Subscription

Quantifiable outcome

• 35% of all Hamburg households covered by the shared fiber network
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• wilhelm.tel GmbHflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005willy.tel and wilhelm.tel operate a joint fiber optic network (Glasfasernetz) in and around Hamburg, covering 35% of all Hamburg households. The partnership began in 2005 with the shared expansion of a multimedia fiber network. wilhelm.tel is a company of Stadtwerke Norderstedt. Both companies are legally independent but share infrastructure, network operations, and the MobyKlick public WiFi initiative.
• MobyKlick (willy.tel + wilhelm.tel joint initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint free public WLAN network covering the Hamburg metropolitan region. Available at approximately 2,500 locations in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Niedersachsen, with up to 1 Gbit/s bandwidth. Built and operated collaboratively by willy.tel and wilhelm.tel.
• Thiele Unternehmensgruppe (Parent Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnerwilly.tel GmbH is a member of the Thiele Unternehmensgruppe, a family-owned group of companies with approximately 180 employees. The group comprises willy.tel GmbH (telecommunications), Thiele Hauselectronic GmbH (security technology, data networks, cable/satellite systems), and pentakom GmbH (emergency call systems for seniors, light call systems, nurse call systems).
• Veolia Towers HamburgminorGTM or Marketing Partnerwilly.tel is a sponsor of the Veolia Towers Hamburg basketball team (Basketball Bundesliga), with a particular focus on supporting the Grundschulliga (primary school league) social program run by the club. The partnership aligns with willy.tel's values around community engagement and youth development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• M-net: M-net is a regional fiber ISP serving Bavaria (Munich, Augsburg, Erlangen) with FTTB/H infrastructure and a quadruple-play product portfolio including IPTV. Comparable to willy.tel as a city-region fiber carrier competing against national incumbents in a defined metro footprint.
• PYUR (Tele Columbus): PYUR, operated by Tele Columbus AG, is one of Germany's largest cable TV and broadband providers with own HFC infrastructure. Direct competitor in cable TV (DVB-C), broadband, and telephony markets across Germany, with overlapping IPTV offerings.
• NetCologne: NetCologne is a regional fiber ISP and cable TV operator serving the Cologne/Bonn metropolitan area with own fiber infrastructure. Closely comparable to willy.tel as a city-level fiber, telephony, TV, and mobile provider competing against Deutsche Telekom/Vodafone in their home market.
• wilhelm.tel: wilhelm.tel is the joint operator of the shared fiber network with willy.tel in Hamburg and is owned by Stadtwerke Norderstedt. Operates the same business model (regional fiber ISP, IPTV, telephony) and serves overlapping Hamburg metro customers, making it the closest direct peer and strategic partner.
• EWE TEL: EWE TEL is the telecommunications arm of EWE AG, providing fiber internet, mobile, and TV services across northwest Germany (Lower Saxony, Bremen, parts of Schleswig-Holstein). Comparable regional fiber ISP with municipal utility heritage serving adjacent geography to willy.tel's Hamburg footprint.
• osnatel (EWE TEL subsidiary): osnatel is the regional telecommunications brand of EWE TEL serving the Osnabrück region with own fiber infrastructure, IPTV, and telephony. Comparable to willy.tel as a regional Mittelstand fiber ISP operating under a municipal-utility parent group in a defined metro area.

Broad incumbents

• 1&1 Versatel: 1&1 Versatel is a major B2B fiber and wholesale carrier providing dedicated internet, Ethernet, and dark fiber services to enterprises across Germany. Comparable to willy.tel's business connectivity / Dark Fiber / BGP services targeting enterprise customers.
• Deutsche Telekom: Deutsche Telekom is Germany's largest telecommunications incumbent with extensive fixed-line, fiber, mobile, and IPTV (MagentaTV) services. Serves as the dominant competitor willy.tel must displace in the Hamburg market and is the structural benchmark for broadband market share dynamics.
• Vodafone Deutschland: Vodafone Deutschland is a major fixed-line, cable (Unitymedia-acquired HFC network), mobile, and TV provider in Germany. Overlaps with willy.tel in residential broadband, cable TV (GigaTV), and mobile markets, particularly relevant for customers in cable-reachable parts of Hamburg.

Emerging players

• Deutsche Glasfaser: Deutsche Glasfaser (now owned by IFM Investors) is a rapidly expanding FTTH provider focused on underserved rural and suburban areas in Germany. Direct competitor for fiber broadband and TV services; while mostly rural-focused, represents an emerging overbuilder in willy.tel's suburban Hamburg periphery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willy.tel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 willy.tel