Berlin/Bonn 1 June 2021: BREKO supports the approach of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) to enable particularly remote and poorly served households to participate digitally via a voucher program. “Due to limited civil engineering and planning capacities as well as lengthy approval procedures, we need alternative solutions for households and areas that are particularly difficult to access. In areas where the self-sufficient and complementary subsidized fiber optic expansion, which is the most future-proof and sustainable solution without ifs and buts, has reached its natural limits despite the available financial resources, the proposed “digitization grant” from the BMVI is a good solution to provide people in these areas with fast Internet access on a transitional basis. It is now important that the program is designed in a practical way and does not compete with the expansion of fibre optics. To this end, the telecommunications industry must be involved in the discussion as quickly as possible, explains BREKO Managing Director Dr. Stephan Albers.

Some time ago, BREKO had already presented the German government with a concept for unbureaucratic demand stimulation in the form of a “fiber optic premium”, but this has not yet been taken up by the government. The idea behind it: A “fiber optic premium” is intended to stimulate demand for future-proof fiber optic connections in areas that do not reach the threshold of profitability because not enough households opt for a fiber optic connection. The BREKO proposal provides for a connection premium (EUR 500) for laying the fiber optic cable from the sidewalk to the building, a contract premium (EUR 500) for concluding an Internet access contract and an in-house premium (EUR 150), which can be combined to cover part of the costs incurred.

About the BREKO

As the leading fiber optic association with more than 380 member companies, the Bundesverband Breitbandkommunikation e.V. (BREKO) successfully promotes competition in the German telecommunications market. Its members are clearly committed to future-proof fiber optics and are currently responsible for almost 75 percent of the competitive expansion of fiber optic connections to buildings and homes. The more than 220 telecommunications network operators organized in the association supply both metropolitan areas and rural areas with future-proof fibre optic connections. In 2019, they invested EUR 2.5 billion and generated a turnover of EUR 7.8 billion. Further information can be found at www.brekoverband.de.