Bonn/Berlin 30.11.2020 The German government’s Digital Summit 2020 is taking place today and tomorrow under the motto “Living more sustainably digitally”. The focus is on the question of how digitalization can become the driver of sustainability. An important component of sustainable and climate-friendly digitalization is the expansion of fibre optics as the digital infrastructure with the lowest energy consumption.
Digitalization offers great potential, both for society and for the climate. In order to keep the energy and resource consumption of digital technologies as low as possible, the search for environmentally friendly digital infrastructures is becoming increasingly important. Fiber optic networks play a decisive role in this. A recent study conducted by the Technical University of Central Hesse on behalf of BREKO found that fiber optic networks consume up to 17 times less energy than copper-based telecommunications networks. They also have a longer service life and are less susceptible to faults. BREKO CEO Dr. Stephan Albers commented: “The Digital Summit 2020 addresses key application areas of digital technologies that will not only fundamentally change the way we live and work in the coming years. GAIA-X, AI, intelligent mobility, digital education, smart living and smart farming also need a powerful digital infrastructure as a basis. Accelerating the expansion of fibre optics therefore also means making digitalization sustainable and climate-friendly.”
In addition to a significant increase in construction capacity, simplified and digitalized approval procedures are needed to accelerate the expansion of a network that is as sustainable as it is efficient. BREKO has continued to drive this process forward together with representatives from politics, business and administration as part of this year’s summit process. The results of a survey of good practice examples show that there is considerable potential for acceleration, which is already being used in some administrations. Examples include virtual project meetings and digital construction site documentation instead of time-consuming on-site appointments. It is now important to standardize and digitize the procedures throughout Germany.
The “one-stop store” principle envisaged in the amendment to the Telecommunications Act will also make an important contribution to fast and predictable approval procedures. “The central bundling of the necessary approvals for real fiber optic expansion right into the buildings will bring speed and security to the planning process. The federal states and municipalities should be open to this instrument in further discussions in order to further optimize the approval process together with the telecommunications companies. However, it is also important to provide cities and municipalities with the necessary personnel, financial and technical resources for implementation. The federal states should provide financial resources for this and support the city and municipal administrations,” emphasizes Albers.
In connection with the discussion on the design of the “right to fast Internet” enshrined in the coalition agreement, BREKO, together with other associations and institutions, is proposing at the Digital Summit 2020 that the use of satellite communication should be considered for particularly remote areas in which fiber optic and mobile network expansion cannot realistically be expected in the next few years, either economically or subsidized. “In order to enable citizens in areas that are particularly difficult to access to participate digitally as quickly as possible, the German government should examine the inclusion of satellite communication before considering the “right to fast internet”,” explains BREKO Managing Director Albers.