Bonn, 25.03.2021 Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer opened the association congress of the German Broadband Association (BREKO) today. The virtual event focused on the political decisions that will set the course for fiber optic expansion in the coming weeks and months. The central importance of the digital infrastructure became clear during the course of the congress, particularly in view of the Bundestag elections.

Under the motto “Fiber for Future”, Federal Minister Andreas Scheuer, Schleswig-Holstein’s Economics Minister Dr. Bernd Buchholz, digital politicians from various parties and representatives of the BREKO Executive Committee spoke about the framework conditions for accelerated fibre optic expansion. The program was complemented by eight workshops in which industry representatives discussed important topics such as Gaia-X, sustainability and cloud- and AI-based cybersecurity and smart home solutions.

In his opening keynote, Federal Minister Andreas Scheuer gave an overview of the current status of the revision of the Telecommunications Act and the planned new gigabit funding program: “Fiber optics is the backbone of our information society. With the gigabit expansion, we are therefore focusing on fiber optics in every region, in every municipality, in every district – if possible directly to the home. With the TKG amendment, we are bundling and simplifying approval procedures, removing hurdles in the right of way and strengthening municipalities by making expansion commitments by companies mandatory. We are also strengthening alternative installation methods, such as above-ground installation or trenching, and thus alleviating the bottleneck in scarce civil engineering capacities. And yet experience shows that it can become uneconomical for the private sector, especially in rural and sparsely populated areas. This is where we provide support with state funding – in the future also in gray areas.”

Important demands for the TKG amendment

The modernization of the Telecommunications Act, which lays down important rules for the further expansion of fibre optics, is currently in the final vote in the Bundestag. The legislative process is to be concluded with the approval of the Bundesrat in May. In his speech, BREKO President Norbert Westfal emphasized the progress made in recent months: “Last year, Germany was able to fight its way forward across Europe and take fifth place among the fastest growing fiber optic markets. The fiber optic rate confirms this expansion momentum. In mid-2020, 15% of households and companies in Germany were able to book a fiber optic connection[1]. This represents an increase of around 14% compared to the end of 2019 – despite pandemic-related restrictions.”

On the other hand, he underlined the importance of the TKG amendment for a positive development of the expansion: “In addition to important issues such as speeding up approval procedures and a universal service structure that does not slow down the expansion of fiber optics, we need a forward-looking regulatory concept that provides incentives for investment in the expansion of fiber optics on a commercial basis. Fair open access concepts must be given regulatory priority. An important part of this is the implementation of the so-called “equivalence of input” (EoI) principle. We also need appropriate and fair conditions for the transition from copper to fiber optic networks.”

Fiber optic expansion takes place regionally

The federal state of Schleswig-Holstein is at the forefront of fiber optic expansion. Dr. Bernd Buchholz, the state minister responsible for the leading state in the federal state comparison, sees the modernization of the apportionability of the broadband connection, one of the main contentious issues in the current legislative process for a new telecommunications law, as an important approach to making progress in the expansion of fiber optics: “Schleswig-Holstein is at the forefront of fiber optic expansion: 53% of our households can already be connected – making us by far the leader in Germany. We’re making even faster progress than expected and we’re keeping up the pace. The last year with home office and home schooling has shown how important stable and fast Internet is. I continue to believe that our proposal to involve tenants in the laying of fiber optic lines via the ancillary costs, but to give them a free choice of provider, is necessary in order to make progress with the expansion of fiber optics in the large residential complexes in the cities.”

In his keynote speech, he also stressed the importance of the regional component in fiber optic expansion: “Fiber optic expansion is taking place regionally. It is important for the success of the projects that the network operators and those responsible at municipal and state level work closely together. That’s why we very much welcome BREKO’s regional commitment.” This commitment will culminate in the founding of the eleventh BREKO regional group next week. The Saxony-Anhalt/Thuringia regional group marks the completion of the BREKO regional concept, through which BREKO is now represented in all federal states with its own regional group.

Digital focal points of the 2021 super election year

During a political discussion round, members of the Bundestag Tankred Schipanski (CDU/CSU), Falko Mohrs (SPD), Manuel Höferlin (FDP) and Margit Stumpp (Greens) discussed the parties’ ideas for the period after the Bundestag elections. They all agreed that the expansion of fibre optics should be further accelerated and that the topic of digitalization should also be more firmly anchored institutionally in the next legislative period – be it with a separate digital ministry or coordination from the Chancellor’s Office.

Association congress live from the Deutsches Museum – FIBERDAYS21 in fall 2021

The event was broadcast and moderated live from the newly opened “Erlebnisraum KI” at the Deutsches Museum Bonn, which has embarked on an innovative path into the future: From a museum for contemporary research and technology to a central experience location for artificial intelligence (AI) in North Rhine-Westphalia. BREKO welcomes the reorientation of the Deutsches Museum Bonn and is now also supporting the museum’s future as a member of the WISSENschaf(f)t SPASS association for education and innovation in the Rhineland.

The fiber optic trade fair FIBERDAYS21, originally planned for 17 and 18 March, has been postponed to autumn 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic situation. The association hopes to be able to hold FIBERDAYS21 as a hybrid or largely face-to-face event in October 2021.

[1] BMVI Broadband Atlas / BREKO Research.