October 28, 2026, 9:11 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Instead of the usual network identifier, Telekom customers suddenly saw an advertising slogan on their smartphones. Consumer advocates took the matter to court and won the first round.
Telekom Replaces Network Identifier With Advertising Slogan
Normally, the network identifier on a smartphone shows which mobile network the device is connected to. However, for Telekom customers, it temporarily no longer displayed “Telekom.de” as usual at the beginning of 2026. Instead, the advertising slogan “In the Best Network” appeared.
The message was visible on the lock screen and in the control center of the smartphone. Particularly annoying for affected users: The display could not be disabled. The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) therefore took action against Telekom Deutschland GmbH and brought the case before the Cologne Regional Court.
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Court Sees Unreasonable Harassment
The regional court sided with the consumer advocates and prohibited Telekom from continuing the advertising campaign. The court found that the company had turned the network identifier, which is meant for informational purposes, into an advertising space. Since users could not disable the message, the court deemed the action an unreasonable harassment.
There is another point of criticism: The unusual display could initially confuse users. If someone suddenly sees a different text on the display instead of the familiar network operator, they might initially suspect something is wrong with the mobile connection. Only upon closer inspection might it become clear that “In the Best Network” is an advertising slogan.
Telekom Does Not Accept the Ruling
Telekom views the action differently. The company argues that it has by far the best 5G network in Germany, as confirmed by independent mobile network tests year after year. Therefore, the advertising slogan is clearly associated with Telekom and credible from the company’s perspective.
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The case is not yet fully resolved. The ruling of the Cologne Regional Court from September 17, 2026, is not yet legally binding. Telekom has appealed to the Higher Regional Court of Cologne. Thus, the dispute over the unusual smartphone advertising continues.