BREKO press statement on the election of Olaf Scholz as the new Federal Chancellor and the start of the new federal government
Bonn/Berlin, 08.12.2021
“We warmly congratulate Olaf Scholz on his election as the new Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. In view of the major challenges facing our country, it is good that the new federal government is now officially taking up its work.
With the coalition agreement, the traffic light coalition has presented a clear compass for the implementation of the most important digital topics. Now it is important that the federal government tackles implementation quickly. To do this, we need a strong Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Affairs equipped with comprehensive digital competencies, in which the central digital topics of fiber optic expansion, digital administration and the digital economy are bundled professionally. The new federal government must not miss the opportunity to shape digital policy ‘from a single source’ in order to decisively advance digitalization in Germany.
With our more than 220 telecommunications network operators organized in the association, we will make an important contribution to achieving the fibre optic target set out in the coalition agreement. In order to achieve nationwide fiber optic expansion as quickly as possible, we must remove the existing obstacles to expansion. Excessively long approval procedures, limited civil engineering and planning capacities, a lack of openness to the use of modern installation methods and excessive state intervention by focusing on public funding measures mean that expansion is not progressing at the pace that would be necessary for Germany as a business location. Instead of new strategies, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure must introduce concrete measures to further accelerate the expansion as quickly as possible. One important measure here is the realignment of broadband funding. The coalition agreement sets the right direction for this. State funding for fiber optic expansion should be prioritized and targeted towards those areas in which there is no potential for self-development in the coming years.”
About BREKO
As the leading fibre association with more than 540 member companies, the German Broadband Association (BREKO) promotes competition in the German telecommunications market. Its members are clearly committed to future-proof fibre networks and are responsible for more than half of the deployment of fibre connections in Germany. In 2024, they invested 4.9 billion euros for this purpose. Further information can be found at brekoverband.de/en.
