United Internet
German internet services group operating consumer connectivity, email, hosting, cloud, domain, and business network brands.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
United Internet AG is a German internet services group headquartered in Montabaur, Rhineland-Palatinate. Its business is organized principally into Access and Applications activities, combining consumer telecommunications, business connectivity, hosting, cloud infrastructure, domain registration, email, and online services. The group operates through a portfolio of brands and subsidiaries that includes 1&1, IONOS, STRATO, Fasthosts, GMX, WEB.DE, 1&1 Versatel, and Mail.com. The company originated in 1988 as 1&1 EDV-Marketing GmbH, founded by Ralph Dommermuth and Wendelin Abresch as a marketing and advertising services provider. During the 1990s, the business moved into web hosting and online access, establishing the foundations for its later consumer and business internet operations. It entered the public markets in March 1998 under the name 1&1 Internet AG & Co. KGaA, before subsequently adopting the United Internet identity as the corporate umbrella for its expanding collection of internet businesses. Expansion during the late 1990s and early 2000s broadened the company from a German provider into an international internet services group. Its 1&1 business entered markets including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States between 2000 and 2003. In 2005, United Internet acquired the portal and email activities of WEB.DE and combined them with GMX in 1&1 Mail & Media GmbH. This created a substantial European consumer email and portal operation alongside its access and hosting businesses. United Internet expanded further through acquisitions in domains, broadband, hosting, and telecommunications. It announced the acquisition of united-domains in 2008, acquired the DSL customer business of Freenet in 2009, and took control of Versatel in 2014. Versatel was subsequently associated with the 1&1 Versatel brand and became an important business connectivity and fiber-network operation. The group also acquired Polish hosting provider home.pl in 2015 and STRATO in 2017. Its business applications activities were later developed under the IONOS brand, which became a separately listed company on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in 2023 while remaining strategically connected to United Internet. The group’s telecommunications strategy also includes mobile network development through 1&1. Following the combination of 1&1 Telecommunications and Drillisch, 1&1 AG became the operating vehicle for the group’s consumer telecommunications activities. In 2019, 1&1 acquired spectrum in Germany’s 5G auction and began developing a virtualized mobile network based on Open RAN principles. Alongside mobile services, 1&1 Versatel provides business access services and operates a large German fiber network. United Internet therefore functions less as a single consumer-facing brand than as a holding and operating group whose brands address different segments. GMX, WEB.DE, and Mail.com focus primarily on email and online communication; 1&1 provides consumer access and telecommunications; IONOS, STRATO, Fasthosts, and united-domains serve businesses and individuals with hosting, cloud, domains, and digital infrastructure; and 1&1 Versatel supplies business connectivity and network services. The company is listed in Germany and has been included in the MDAX and TecDAX. Its international footprint spans more than 30 locations and its portfolio serves millions of customer accounts.
History
United Internet traces its origins to 1&1 EDV-Marketing GmbH, established in 1988 by Ralph Dommermuth and Wendelin Abresch. The original business focused on marketing and advertising services. During the 1990s, it expanded into web hosting and online access, developing products that allowed customers to connect to the emerging internet and establishing the 1&1 name in the German market. The company entered the stock market in March 1998 as 1&1 Internet AG & Co. KGaA. Its public listing came before the peak of the New Economy boom, and the shares experienced a strong first-day performance. Over time, the corporate structure evolved into United Internet AG, with 1&1 retained as one of several operating brands rather than the sole identity of the group. From 2000 to 2003, 1&1 entered international markets including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. United Internet then strengthened its consumer communications business through the 2005 acquisition of WEB.DE’s portal and email activities. These assets were combined with GMX in 1&1 Mail & Media GmbH, creating a major European email and portal platform within the group. The group pursued a series of acquisitions that broadened its digital infrastructure portfolio. In 2008 it announced the purchase of united-domains. In 2009 it acquired the DSL business of Freenet, transferring a substantial customer base into United Internet’s broadband operations. Its former advertising subsidiary AdLink Group was sold to French company Hi-Media in 2009, marking a move away from that part of the business. Telecommunications and network ownership became increasingly important. In 2014, United Internet announced that it would acquire the remaining 74.9 percent of Versatel from KKR. The business was subsequently associated with the 1&1 Versatel name and developed into a provider of business access services with its own German fiber infrastructure. The group expanded its hosting presence through the 2015 purchase of home.pl in Poland and the 2017 acquisition of STRATO. In 2016, the 1&1 Internet business was divided into telecommunications and business applications activities. The latter developed under the IONOS brand, which covers hosting, cloud, domains, and related business software. IONOS later became separately listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in February 2023. The telecommunications side was reorganized through the combination of 1&1 Telecommunications and Drillisch in 2017, creating 1&1 AG. The 1&1 telecommunications business entered Germany’s mobile network market through the 2019 5G frequency auction. It began building a fully virtualized mobile network using Open RAN technology, positioning the company as a network challenger rather than solely a reseller of capacity from established German operators. This strategy complemented the group’s fixed-line, broadband, and business-network assets. United Internet now operates as a diversified internet services group with two broad activity areas: Access and Applications. Its portfolio covers consumer broadband and mobile services, business connectivity, hosting, cloud computing, domain registration, online communications, and digital tools. The group’s principal brands serve distinct customer segments, allowing the corporate organization to combine infrastructure-heavy telecommunications with recurring digital and software services.
- 2023
IONOS becomes publicly listed
[1]IONOS was listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as a separate public company.
- 2019
Entry into German 5G network development
[1]1&1 acquired spectrum in Germany’s 5G auction and began developing a virtualized mobile network using Open RAN technology.
- 2017
STRATO joins United Internet
[1]United Internet completed the acquisition of STRATO, strengthening its hosting and digital infrastructure portfolio.
- 2017
Formation of 1&1 AG
[1]The telecommunications businesses of 1&1 Telecommunications and Drillisch were combined into 1&1 AG.
- 2015
home.pl acquired
[1]The group announced the acquisition of Polish web-hosting company home.pl.
- 2014
Versatel control acquired
[1]United Internet announced the purchase of the remaining stake in Versatel from KKR.
- 2009
Freenet DSL business acquired
[1]United Internet acquired Freenet’s DSL business and transferred its broadband customers.
- 2008
united-domains acquisition announced
[1]The group announced the acquisition of the German domain registrar united-domains.
- 2005
WEB.DE assets join the group
[1]United Internet acquired WEB.DE’s portal and email activities and combined them with GMX.
- 2000
International expansion begins
[1]The 1&1 business entered foreign markets including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States during the early 2000s.
Products and positioning
A multi-brand internet services group serving consumers, small businesses, and enterprise customers through connectivity, digital infrastructure, hosting, cloud, domain, email, and network offerings.
Consumer telecommunications
1&1
1&1 is United Internet’s principal consumer telecommunications brand. It offers fixed-line broadband and DSL services and operates mobile communications activities in Germany. Following the combination with Drillisch, 1&1 AG became the main operating vehicle for these telecommunications activities. The brand also became associated with the group’s effort to build an independent German mobile network using virtualized infrastructure and Open RAN technology.
Cloud and business applications · 2016
IONOS
IONOS provides hosting, cloud infrastructure, domains, website services, and digital tools for businesses and individual customers. It represents the business applications side of United Internet’s portfolio and brings together services aimed at customers that need online presence, infrastructure, storage, computing, and related digital capabilities. IONOS was separately listed in Frankfurt in 2023.
Web hosting and cloud services
STRATO
STRATO is a hosting and digital infrastructure provider serving customers with domains, web hosting, servers, storage, and related online services. United Internet announced its acquisition in 2016 and completed the transaction in 2017, adding a major European hosting business to the group’s Applications portfolio.
Email and online services
GMX
GMX is a consumer email and online communications brand with a strong European presence. It became part of the group’s broader mail and media activities and was combined organizationally with the WEB.DE assets acquired in 2005. The service is primarily associated with email accounts and related consumer online functions.
Email and online portal
WEB.DE
WEB.DE is a German consumer internet portal and email brand. United Internet acquired its portal and email operations in 2005 and integrated them with GMX under 1&1 Mail & Media GmbH. The brand remains part of the group’s consumer communications portfolio.
Business connectivity · 2014
1&1 Versatel
1&1 Versatel provides business access and telecommunications services and operates fiber-network infrastructure in Germany. It originated from United Internet’s control of Versatel and serves as an important network asset for the group’s business connectivity activities. Its infrastructure supports enterprise and carrier-related connectivity rather than only consumer broadband.
Web hosting and domains
Fasthosts
Fasthosts is a hosting and domain services brand within United Internet’s Applications portfolio. It serves customers with online infrastructure and related digital services, particularly in English-speaking markets.
Email
Mail.com
Mail.com is a consumer email provider whose user base is concentrated mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom. It complements GMX and WEB.DE within United Internet’s international mail and media activities.
Domain registration
united-domains
united-domains provides domain registration and related online presence services. Its integration strengthened United Internet’s domain portfolio and complemented the group’s hosting and business applications offerings.
Brand decisions
2023
List IONOS separatelyOtherBackground
IONOS had become the principal business applications and digital infrastructure platform within the group.
Action taken
IONOS was listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as a separate public company.
Aftermath
The listing gave the business applications division an independent public-market identity while United Internet remained its strategic parent and major shareholder.
2019
Build an independent 5G mobile networkStrategyBackground
United Internet aimed to expand beyond mobile resale and establish a larger role in Germany’s telecommunications infrastructure.
Action taken
1&1 participated successfully in Germany’s 5G frequency auction and began building a fully virtualized mobile network based on Open RAN technology.
Aftermath
The initiative positioned 1&1 as a prospective network operator and added mobile infrastructure development to United Internet’s established access businesses.
2017
Combine 1&1 Telecommunications and DrillischM&ABackground
United Internet sought to consolidate its telecommunications operations and strengthen the 1&1 operating platform.
Action taken
1&1 Telecommunications SE and Drillisch AG were merged to form 1&1 AG.
Aftermath
1&1 AG became the central vehicle for the group’s consumer telecommunications business.
2016
Separate telecommunications and business applications activitiesStrategyBackground
The 1&1 Internet business had grown across both telecommunications and business-oriented digital services.
Action taken
The company divided the activities into 1&1 Telecommunications and a Business Applications division developed under the IONOS brand.
Aftermath
The separation clarified the group’s Access and Applications structure and prepared the IONOS business for later independent listing.
2014
Acquire full control of VersatelM&ABackground
United Internet already had an interest in Versatel and sought control of the fixed-line and fiber-network operator.
Action taken
The company announced the acquisition of the remaining 74.9 percent stake from KKR.
Aftermath
Versatel became a core part of the group’s business connectivity and network infrastructure activities and was associated with the 1&1 Versatel brand.
2005
Integrate WEB.DE with GMXM&ABackground
United Internet sought to expand its consumer email and portal activities through the acquisition of WEB.DE’s relevant operations.
Action taken
The company acquired the WEB.DE portal and email business and combined it with GMX under 1&1 Mail & Media GmbH.
Aftermath
The transaction created a larger European consumer communications platform within the group.
Recent events
- 2023
IONOS lists on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange[1]
M&A · Other
IONOS, United Internet’s business applications and digital infrastructure brand, became publicly traded in Frankfurt.
- 2019
1&1 obtains spectrum in Germany’s 5G auction[1]
Regulation
1&1 successfully participated in Germany’s 5G frequency auction and began developing a new mobile network based on virtualized and Open RAN technologies.
- 2017
United Internet completes acquisition of STRATO[1]
M&A
STRATO joined United Internet’s portfolio of hosting, domain, and digital infrastructure businesses.
- 2017
1&1 and Drillisch combine their telecommunications activities[1]
M&A
The telecommunications operations of 1&1 Telecommunications and Drillisch were combined to form 1&1 AG.
- 2015
United Internet announces acquisition of home.pl[1]
M&A
The group announced the acquisition of Polish web-hosting provider home.pl.
- 2014
United Internet takes control of Versatel[1]
M&A
The company announced the acquisition of the remaining stake in fixed-line and fiber operator Versatel from KKR.
- 2009
United Internet acquires Freenet DSL customers[1]
M&A
United Internet announced an agreement to take over Freenet’s DSL business and transfer its broadband customers.
- 2008
United Internet announces acquisition of united-domains[1]
M&A
The group announced the purchase of the German domain registrar and hosting company united-domains.
- 2005
United Internet acquires WEB.DE portal and email activities[1]
M&A
The transaction brought WEB.DE’s portal and email operations into the group and led to their combination with GMX.
- 1998
United Internet goes public as 1&1 Internet AG & Co. KGaA[1]
Other
The company completed its public-market debut under its earlier 1&1 Internet name.
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