Germany’s regulatory authority, the Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA), publishes quarterly allocation lists showing which block of 10,000 or 100,000 numbers belongs to which carrier. These lists are public, machine‑readable, and critical for line‑type detection during data cleansing. They also include service numbers—0800 toll‑free, 0180 shared‑cost, 0900 premium‑rate, 0700 personal numbering, and the novel 116xxx harmonised services of social value. Marketers must take care: sending unsolicited SMS to 0700 or 0900 ranges violates both consumer‑protection law and carrier terms, often triggering automatic blocking.
**MOBILE MARKET LANDSCAPE**
: Deutsche Telekom (D1 network), Vodafone (D2), Telefónica Germany (O₂), and since 2023, 1&1 Mobilfunk, which launched a 5G standalone network backed by national roaming on Telefónica. Dozens of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) resell capacity—ALDI TALK, Drillisch, Freenet, Congstar—but retain their customers’ numbers inside the host MNO’s HSS/HLR. Subscriber penetration reached 141 percent in 2024: about 118 million active SIMs for a resident population of 84 million. The parallel rise of eSIM and multi‑SIM devices, especially among business travelers, means a single individual may hold three active German numbers: a business line on Vodafone, a personal line on Telekom, and a travel eSIM from an MVNO such as Truphone.
Average monthly mobile data usage skyrocketed to 28 GB in 2024, france phone number data propelled by unlimited 5G tariffs. In A2P terms, that statistic conceals a subtle risk: Germans increasingly rely on OTT apps—WhatsApp, Signal, Threema—for person‑to‑person communication, so an unsolicited SMS competes for attention against a flood of zero‑rated push notifications. Deliverability remains high—German networks boast 99.8 percent SMS success for valid numbers—but end‑user engagement hinges on context, brand reputation, and, above all, lawful consent.
**LEGAL FRAMEWORK: FROM GDPR TO UWG AND TTDSG**
Germany enforces a layered legal regime. At the apex sits the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It defines personal data broadly—any information that can identify a person, directly or indirectly. A phone number is personal data because it is uniquely linkable to an individual, even without a name. Lawful processing therefore requires a legal basis under Article 6: consent, contract, legal obligation, vital interest, public task, or legitimate interest. For marketing, consent or legitimate interest are the only realistic bases. Consent must be freely given, informed, specific, and unambiguous. Silence, pre‑ticked boxes, or opt‑out mechanisms fail. Legitimate interest demands a “balancing test,” weighing the controller’s interest against the data subject’s reasonable expectations and fundamental rights. German regulators rarely accept cold marketing SMS as a legitimate interest; they expect prior opt‑in.
- Board index
- All times are UTC
- Delete cookies
- Contact us