Berlin, 19.10.2022 The German Broadband Association (BREKO) comments on the funding freeze for broadband expansion announced today by the BMDV:

“The large number of funding applications received and the resulting necessary funding freeze show that the ‘natural prioritization’ of eligible areas announced by the federal states is not working. This development underlines very clearly that we need clear rules and effective prioritization for the distribution of funding for fiber optic expansion, which ensures the funding of particularly disadvantaged areas and the targeted use of taxpayers’ money. This applies in particular in view of the significant expansion of gigabit funding announced in the German government’s gigabit strategy in the coming year, which will make a large number of additional areas eligible for funding. The alternative network operators are still prepared to invest a lot of money in their own expansion and to expand the vast majority of areas without taxpayers’ money. Funding should therefore only be used specifically in underserved areas with no potential for expansion, such as the so-called white or light gray areas. The potential analysis commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, which is intended to determine whether there is potential for a self-sufficient fiber optic expansion for all municipalities in Germany, is a central tool for targeting the funding available for 2023 to areas in need of funding.”