Bonn/Wolfsburg, June 18, 2021 In his home town of Wolfsburg, Member of the Bundestag Falko Mohrs was honored today as a digital politician as part of an initiative by the German Broadband Communications Association (BREKO). The award was presented to the SPD politician by Dr. Frank Kästner, CEO of Stadtwerke Wolfsburg AG, for his political work in the field of digitalization and digital infrastructure.

At the premises of Stadtwerke Wolfsburg, Falko Mohrs received the “Digital Politician” award today for the digital policy impetus he has provided in the course of his political work as a member of the SPD parliamentary group in the Wolfsburg region, but also nationwide. The award was presented by Dr. Frank Kästner, CEO of Stadtwerke Wolfsburg and Managing Director of the telecommunications subsidiary, Wobcom GmbH, on behalf of the German Broadband Communications Association. “We are delighted to present Falko Mohrs with this award at our company today. As a member of BREKO and initiator of the fibre optic expansion in Wolfsburg, the topic of digitalization is right at the top of our agenda. Innovative technologies require the best infrastructure and a nationwide fibre optic network – for digital education, digital administration and digital applications for sustainable development,” says Dr. Kästner.

Falko Mohrs, who has also been a member of Wolfsburg City Council since 2013, was honored for his commitment to a forward-looking digital policy. In the course of the recently completed legislative process for the revision of the Telecommunications Act, for example, he campaigned for fibre optics as the future-proof digital infrastructure and, in particular, for a modernization of the apportionability of the broadband connection in the sense of an accelerated fibre optic expansion in apartment buildings. He was also actively involved in Wolfsburg’s inclusion in the federal Smart City program.

Falko Mohrs is delighted with the award. “Thank you very much for the award and for BREKO’s #fiberforfuture campaign, which draws attention to the urgent tasks of our time! Digitalization is becoming increasingly important in more and more areas of life, making it all the more important to help shape a socially just, future-oriented and sustainable digital policy in Germany and Europe. I am therefore particularly pleased about the BREKO award because it also shows that we as the SPD have provided important impetus in digitalization policy in recent years. With the recently passed Telecommunications Modernization Act (TKMoG), we have succeeded in setting a very important and necessary course for achieving nationwide broadband coverage in Germany. The newly created instrument of the fiber optic provision fee, for example, creates a legally secure framework and provides targeted incentives to accelerate the expansion of the digital infrastructure. This will enable us to fiber-optic the country in the coming years. Together with the city of Wolfsburg, WOBCOM and Deutsche Glasfaser, we are pursuing the common goal of providing all of Wolfsburg with fiber optic connections by the end of 2023. In this way, we are creating the basic conditions for new innovative and smart ideas and ensuring that all citizens can participate in this process.”

The award is part of the “Outstanding Digital Politician” initiative launched by the German Broadband Association (BREKO) under the motto “Fiber for Future”. The aim of the initiative is to highlight the importance of digital policy and digital infrastructure for all policy areas in the 2021 federal election year. As part of the campaign, the title will be awarded to politicians who have already provided important digital policy impetus in their political work.

BREKO Managing Director Dr. Stephan Albers on the award for Falko Mohrs: “Today in Wolfsburg, we are honoring an accomplished digital politician who is committed to the expansion of fibre optics in Germany with a great deal of expertise. I am particularly pleased that the award is being presented by Wobcom. They have been an important member of BREKO for many years, expanding the fiber optic network in the region step by step and promoting fiber optic expansion under the motto #GlasfasermMadeinWolfsburg. The countdown is currently running for six new expansion projects alone. Cooperation with politicians is an important factor in providing people in Wolfsburg and the surrounding area with the best digital infrastructure and enabling digital participation.”