April 18, 2025, 12:18 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
Since its founding, Drillisch has established itself as a provider of low-cost wireless services rate plans and is now a subsidiary of 1&1 AG. With numerous brands—including smartmobil.de, winSIM and PremiumSIM—Drillisch operates primarily as a wireless services discounter, but it is also a provider of DSL and fiber optics.
Drillisch is best known for its affordable mobile phone plans. The company markets these plans not under its own name, but through a variety of mobile phone brands. However, Drillisch has expanded its offerings to include DSL contracts and, more recently, fiber optic plans as well. But what are the company’s brands, which network does the provider utilize, and what should customers be aware of? TECHBOOK rate plan expert Rita Deutschbein provides an overview.
Overview
Historical Development
Drillisch traces its origins back to 1983. At that time, Drillisch Vertriebs- und Servicegesellschaft was founded, which initially specialized in the sale of communications hardware. Starting in the mid-1990s, the company began acting as a service provider for mobile network operators. It purchased network capacity from major network operators and marketed it to consumers through its own rate plans.
Drillisch went public in 1998, which allowed the company to grow further. In the following years, Drillisch took over several smaller mobile network providers, strengthening its position on the market. In 2017, the company was finally acquired by United Internet and integrated into the 1&1 Group. The process began with the gradual acquisition of Drillisch shares by United Internet and ultimately led to the renaming of Drillisch AG to 1&1 Drillisch AG.
Then, in June 2021, the company was renamed to 1&1 AG. Since then, 1&1 has been an independent telecommunications provider that is building its own mobile network, among other things. However, even though the Drillisch name is no longer part of the corporate title, the provider continues to operate.
Today, Drillisch Online GmbH operates as a subsidiary of 1&1 AG and runs the company’s various discount mobile phone brands. While 1&1 AG, as the parent company, oversees the entire telecommunications business, including the development of its own mobile network, Drillisch Online GmbH focuses on serving end customers with affordable mobile phone plans.
Only a Few Know Drillisch, But Many Know the Brands
Over the years, Drillisch has repeatedly revised its brands; some have disappeared, others have been added to the portfolio. They are aimed primarily at price-conscious customers and offer flexible rate plans with short terms. The brands primarily offer their rate plans online. This online focus eliminates the need for costly stores or branches, resulting in significant savings on operating expenses. Additionally, the company focuses on essential services and manages many customer inquiries through self-service portals or chat systems.
As part of its brand consolidation, the company is currently focusing on the following key brands:
- yourfone: mobile phone tariffs with stationary stores
- smartmobil.de: mobile rate plans with a focus on combination packages of cell phone and rate plan
- simplytel, PremiumSIM, winSIM, maxxim: Discounter brands with low-cost tariffs
- handyvertrag.de, DeutschlandSIM, sim.de, sim24: Other online brands with flexible contract options
This strategic focus came after the company discontinued marketing for several other brands, including eteleon, Phonex, helloMobil, McSIM, and BigSIM.
Which Wireless Network Does Drillisch Use?
Drillisch Online GmbH operates as a so-called mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), i.e. it uses the network capacities of the major providers Telefónica and Vodafone. However, the company is already implementing new mobile rate plans within its own 1&1 network, aiming for long-term independence. As the network continues to expand, Drillisch currently relies on national roaming to provide nationwide coverage to its customers. Until August 2024, the Telefónica / O2 network was used for this purpose; since then, national roaming has been carried out via the Vodafone network.
Drillisch is gradually migrating existing customers to the 1&1 mobile network. This process began in December 2023 and should be completed by the end of 2025 at the latest. The changeover will take place automatically and gradually. Customers will receive timely notifications about the switch. In most cases, it will not be necessary to replace the SIM card; a simple restart of the device will suffice. However, should a SIM card replacement be necessary, affected customers will be sent a new card by mail, complete with detailed instructions.
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Offers Outside of Mobile Communications
Drillisch continues to focus its strategy on providing affordable wireless services to individual customers. In addition, the company has expanded its expertise to include offerings in the landline sector.
Drillisch has been marketing DSL rate plans with bandwidths from 16 Mbit/s to 250 Mbit/s since March 2022. Initially introduced through winSIM and PremiumSIM, these plans were primarily available to existing customers at first. Starting in January 2023, new customers have been able to subscribe to the DSL rate plans, now available across all Drillisch brands. Drillisch has also made its foray into the fiber optic market. Corresponding rate plans are available with up to 1000 Mbit/s.
Simultaneously, Drillisch is aiming to broaden its commercial client base, especially in the realm of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. While it remains to be seen if it will succeed as an independent network operator, the company has already established itself as a key player among Germany’s mobile communications brands.