Berlin, March 5, 2025 – Sven Knapp, Head of BREKO’s Capital Office, comments on the “Special Infrastructure Fund” of 500 billion euros planned by the CDU, CSU and SPD:

“In light of the current geopolitical developments, it is important that Germany gets a new federal government quickly. The planned special fund creates financial leeway, but will not solve the structural problems that are hampering the expansion of fiber optics. As much state money as possible is not the answer to the 39% increase in construction costs since 2021 and will not lead to faster expansion.

Instead, the next German government must support network expansion with the highest priority and a competition-oriented and investment-friendly policy so that companies continue to invest billions in fiber optic expansion in Germany. This includes, in particular, creating the conditions for a competition-neutral and consumer-friendly transition from copper to fiber optic networks as quickly as possible and consistently reducing unnecessary bureaucracy. Lengthy approval procedures also delay the implementation of expansion projects and should be consistently replaced by a streamlined digital notification procedure that relieves the burden on all parties involved.”