Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Hoettges declared all areas of the business delivered impressive growth in the first half of 2026, highlighting continued momentum in the US and demand for its MagentaTV service in Germany fuelled by the football World Cup.

An earnings statement for Q2 2026 showed group revenue rose 4.4% year-on-year to €29.9 billion, while net profit was up 11.1% to €2.8 billion. The top line growth was driven by a 5.2% increase in the US to €19.6 billion and a 3.5% uplift in Germany to €6.5 billion. T-Mobile US earnings were reported on 23 July.

The rest of Europe rose 1.5% to €3.2 billion, while Systems Solutions was a sour point with revenue declining 13.4% to €998 million.

In Germany, the second quarter “was dominated by the FIFA World Cup”, with the company broadcasting all of the matches on MagentaTV. It said a million new customers signed up to the TV offering, with a large majority opting for its flex rate plans.

The company also pointed to an increase of 161,000 customers for its fibre offering and 218,000 new contract subscribers in mobile.

In Europe, it added 189,000 mobile contract customers, 56,000 broadband net additions and 16,000 across various TV offerings.

The decline in Systems Solutions was put down to low orders, however it still anticipates an overall rise over the full year.

For the full year, the company increased its guidance for free cash flow after leases from €19.8 billion to around €20 billion.

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Ex-Deutsche Telekom executive Abdu Mudesir resurfaced at US rival Verizon as EVP and president of the operator’s global networks, platforms and technology (GN&T).

The move to Verizon pits Mudesir in direct competition with T-Mobile US, which is majority owned by Deutsche Telekom.

Mudesir will succeed 30-year veteran Joe Russo, who is retiring over the coming months. He will sit on an 11-member leadership team reporting directly to CEO Dan Schulman.

Russo is currently EVP and president of global networks and technology.

A representative for Verizon told Mobile World Live (MWL) the company hired Mudesir following a thorough global search.

“He has a brilliant track record in building 5G capabilities, scaling fibre architecture, and is a recognised pioneer in Open RAN, cloud infrastructure, and AI-driven network automation,” the representative stated.

Mudesir, who served as Deutsche Telekom’s head of product and technology, left the company abruptly in late March 2026 after eight years in various roles.

Verizon noted it is still finalising the exact dates for the transition, but stated Russo remains fully in charge of GN&T for now and will be staying through Q1 2027 to ensure a seamless transition.

“Abdu is obsessed with the customer experience and network excellence,” Schulman said in an internal announcement to employees. “He will help drive the convergence of Network, Platforms, Technology, Products and AI, using our unrivaled connectivity and the transformative power of AI to define what comes next for our business and the customers we serve.”

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