freenet DLS GmbH
freenet DLS GmbH is a German MVNO and telecommunications retailer (founded 1992, ~343 employees) that resells mobile tariffs from Telekom, Vodafone, and o2/Telefónica to consumers and SMBs via online and physical retail channels, bundled with device, TV, and broadband offerings.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersBüdelsdorf, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What freenet DLS GmbH does
freenet DLS GmbH is a German mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and telecommunications retailer headquartered in Büdelsdorf, Schleswig-Holstein, founded in 1992. The company resells mobile tariffs from all three major German network operators — Telekom, Vodafone, and o2/Telefónica — under the freenet brand, allowing consumer and small-business customers to compare and subscribe to plans across multiple networks through a single point of purchase. It operates as a subsidiary of the publicly listed freenet AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange), alongside sister brands such as klarmobil.de, freenet-funk.de, mobilfunk.de, and mega-sim.de.
The product portfolio spans SIM-only tariffs (offered on both 24-month contracts and monthly cancellable terms), smartphone and tablet contracts bundled with devices from Apple, Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, and Motorola, eSIM activation services, 5G router bundles for residential broadband, and a dedicated business-customer tariff line. The company extends beyond mobile into television through freenet TV (DVB-T2 terrestrial broadcasting) and a distribution partnership with EXARING AG for waipu.tv IPTV streaming (Perfect Plus tier at €11.99/month). Distribution combines an e-commerce storefront at freenet.de with a physical retail store network and third-party dealer partners across Germany.
Revenue is generated primarily through recurring mobile-plan subscriptions, one-time hardware sales tied to device-bundle contracts, and subscription TV fees. Customer segments include price-sensitive individual consumers, families using multi-line plans, small-to-medium businesses requiring fleet mobility, and travelers via freenet Travel tariffs. Operational differentiators are multi-network tariff aggregation, hybrid online-plus-physical retail reach, and the umbrella of the freenet AG parent group for scale and brand backing.
freenet DLS GmbH firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- freenet DLS GmbH
- Legal name
- freenet DLS GmbH
- Website
- https://freenet-mobilfunk.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- freenet DLS GmbH is a German MVNO and telecommunications retailer (founded 1992, ~343 employees) that resells mobile tariffs from Telekom, Vodafone, and o2/Telefónica to consumers and SMBs via online and physical retail channels, bundled with device, TV, and broadband offerings.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
freenet DLS GmbH industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Telecommunications Resellers (517121), Telecommunications Resellers and Agents for Wireless Telecommunication Services (51712)
- SIC
- Radiotelephone Communications (4812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile Virtual Network Enablers & Full MVNO Operators (HDAIAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Enterprise & B2B Mobile Network Operators (HDAIAAAB)
Keywords
Where freenet DLS GmbH is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Büdelsdorf, Schleswig-Holstein
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
freenet DLS GmbH business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Mobile Plan Subscriptions: Monthly recurring subscription revenue from mobile tariffs (Allnet Flats, data plans) sold on 24-month contracts or monthly cancellable terms. Revenue generated from network access fees paid by customers for voice, SMS, and data services across partner networks.
- Device Sales: One-time revenue from sales of smartphones (Samsung, Apple, Google, Xiaomi), tablets, and accessories, sold with contract bundles or standalone without contract.
- TV Services: Revenue from freenet TV (DVB-T2 antenna TV) and waipu.tv streaming service subscriptions, including equipment like the waipu.tv 4K Stick and premium packages such as Perfect Plus at €11.99/month.
- Ancillary Services: Additional revenue from SIM replacement, additional SIM cards, roaming services, and device setup/installation services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Allnet Flat 50 GB - Mid-range mobile plan with 50GB data volume |
| Subscription | Monthly | Tarife ohne Handy - SIM-only plans |
| Hybrid | Monthly | Handy mit Vertrag - Device bundles |
| Subscription | Monthly | waipu.tv Perfect Plus |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly cancellable tariffs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
freenet DLS GmbH product offering
Product offeringCore offering
freenet DLS GmbH operates as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Germany, reselling mobile tariffs from Telekom, Vodafone, and o2/Telefonica networks. The company sells smartphones, tablets, and accessories both bundled with 24-month mobile contracts and as standalone devices, supplemented by freenet TV (DVB-T2 antenna TV) and waipu.tv IP-based streaming services.
Product overview
freenet DLS GmbH operates a telecommunications retail platform offering mobile phone tariffs across all major German networks (Telekom, Vodafone, O2/Telefonica), device sales (smartphones and tablets from Apple, Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, Motorola), TV services including freenet TV (DVB-T2 antenna-based) and waipu.tv streaming, 5G routers, and digital services through its mobile app. The core offering consists of mobile contracts with or without bundled devices, supplemented by TV/entertainment add-ons and customer management services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- freenet Mobilfunk (Mobile Tariffs)
Companies that use freenet DLS GmbH
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
freenet DLS GmbH technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
freenet DLS GmbH partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Telekom DeutschlandcoreNetwork partnership where freenet resells mobile tariffs from the Telekom network. freenet offers various Telekom tariffs including Magenta Mobil, Magenta Young, and data-only plans. This is a core distribution partnership for the MVNO model.
- Vodafone DeutschlandcoreNetwork partnership where freenet resells mobile tariffs from the Vodafone network. freenet offers Vodafone GIGA tariffs and data plans, providing customers with access to Vodafone's network coverage.
- o2 / Telefónica DeutschlandcoreNetwork partnership where freenet resells mobile tariffs from the o2/Telefónica network, including unlimited data plans (O2 Free Unlimited) and various data packages.
- EXARING AG (waipu.tv)majorStrategic partnership with IP-TV provider EXARING AG to offer waipu.tv streaming services to freenet customers. freenet distributes waipu.tv products including the 4K Stick and Perfect Plus subscription package at €11.99/month. Joint marketing and product bundling arrangements.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
freenet DLS GmbH competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- High Mobile (Drillisch brand): Drillisch/1&1 sub-brand offering low-cost tariff packages through online channels. Competes with freenet DLS's SIM-only and budget device-bundle propositions and represents the aggressive digital-only flank of the MVNO market.
- Congstar: Telekom Deutschland's consumer MVNO brand, selling mobile and fixed-line tariffs on the Telekom network. Competes head-to-head with freenet DLS in the price-conscious German consumer segment, particularly among customers attracted to the Telekom network specifically.
- 1&1 AG (Drillisch): Germany's largest MVNO group, operating the 1&1, WinSIM, PremiumSIM, yourfone, and smartmobil.de brands across consumer and business mobile. Direct competitor in multi-network tariff resale, online price-led acquisition, and device bundles; closest like-for-like peer to freenet DLS GmbH.
- Tchibo mobil: German consumer MVNO running on the o2/Telefónica network, branded through Tchibo's retail footprint. Comparable target segment (price-sensitive consumer) and similar MVNO-on-MNO economics; competes for the same contract-led customer base.
- mobilcom-debitel (now part of 1&1): Long-established German multi-network mobile reseller with a comparable store-and-online distribution model to freenet DLS. Now integrated into the 1&1 group but historically a parallel national retail-led MVNO competing for the same consumer mobile-shopper audience.
Emerging players
- MediaMarkt / Saturn (MediaMarktSaturn): Major German consumer electronics retailer that bundles mobile tariffs from Telekom, Vodafone, and o2 with device sales in physical stores. Comparable channel role in handset-led contract acquisition, but not an MVNO itself; acts as a competing acquisition surface for the same pool of multi-network device buyers.
Broad incumbents
- Telefónica Deutschland / o2: One of freenet DLS's three underlying MNO partners and a direct retail competitor with full network ownership. Functions as a broad incumbent peer: comparable in-store retail and contract offerings, but operates its own radio network and benefits from full vertical economics freenet DLS cannot access.
- Vodafone Deutschland: Second underlying MNO partner of freenet DLS and a direct competitor in consumer mobile contracts, devices, and converged TV (GigaTV). Comparable offering breadth (mobile + TV + broadband) but with network ownership advantages that freenet DLS as a reseller cannot replicate.
Regional players
- Lebara Mobile Germany: MVNO brand focused on international calling and ethnic-segment prepaid offers in Germany, running on partner MNO infrastructure. Comparable reseller business model and customer-acquisition mechanics, but differentiated by prepaid and international-calling positioning rather than full postpaid multi-network aggregation.
- Lyca Mobile Germany: International-focused MVNO operating on a partner German MNO network, serving ethnic and travel-oriented customer segments with mobile and roaming products. Comparable reseller/MVNO structure and target demographic of price-sensitive international-calling consumers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
freenet DLS GmbH social profiles
Digital presencefreenet DLS GmbH financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
freenet DLS GmbH leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
freenet DLS GmbH funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
freenet DLS GmbH 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 freenet DLS GmbH
What does freenet DLS GmbH do?
freenet DLS GmbH operates as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Germany, reselling mobile tariffs from Telekom, Vodafone, and o2/Telefonica networks. The company sells smartphones, tablets, and accessories both bundled with 24-month mobile contracts and as standalone devices, supplemented by freenet TV (DVB-T2 antenna TV) and waipu.tv IP-based streaming services.
Is freenet DLS GmbH a public or private company?
freenet DLS GmbH is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was freenet DLS GmbH founded?
freenet DLS GmbH was founded in 1992. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is freenet DLS GmbH based?
freenet DLS GmbH is headquartered in Büdelsdorf, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does freenet DLS GmbH make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Mobile Plan Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are device Sales, TV Services and ancillary Services.
Who are freenet DLS GmbH's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are High Mobile (Drillisch brand), Congstar, 1&1 AG (Drillisch), Tchibo mobil and mobilcom-debitel (now part of 1&1). MediaMarkt / Saturn (MediaMarktSaturn) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Telefónica Deutschland / o2 and Vodafone Deutschland. Regional players are Lebara Mobile Germany and Lyca Mobile Germany.
Does freenet DLS GmbH have an API?
No public API is recorded for freenet DLS GmbH.
What industry is freenet DLS GmbH in?
freenet DLS GmbH's product category is Mobile Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAAAC, Mobile Virtual Network Enablers & Full MVNO Operators, with a secondary code of HDAIAAAB, Enterprise & B2B Mobile Network Operators. Its NAICS code is 517121 and its SIC code is 4812.