CEO Timotheus Hoettges outlined Deutsche Telekom’s intention to invest €23.5 billion domestically in its mobile and fixed networks over the next five years, a strategy which plays to an operator’s key strength by giving the German giant leverage in negotiations with content providers.

“Building networks is what we know how to do best —we’ll leave making apps and creating services to others,” said Hoettges (pictured), speaking at the Digital Life Design conference in Munich.

His comments were reported by Bloomberg.

However, the €23.5 billion earmarked for the next five-year period is only slightly above the €23 billion the operator has ploughed into its infrastructure over the previous half decade.

Deutsche Telekom is set to reveal more of its financial plans at an investor meeting next month.

Hoettges’ presentation was an argument in favour of investment in high-speed networks and how it will strengthen Deutsche Telekom’s hand in negotiations with content providers.

He contrasted the German incumbent’s situation with that of Google and Facebook, which compete on voice and messaging services yet escape regulatory oversight.

“Facebook is a communications service but it’s not investing in telco infrastructure; this is unfair,” Hoettges said. “Why does it escape regulation, yet it gathers data freely?”

He called on regulators to create more level terms between operators and internet rivals.