Bonn/Berlin, April 16, 2025 – The Bundesverband Breitbandkommunikation e.V. (BREKO) takes stock after one year of the Digital Ministers’ Conference of the Federal States. The Digital Ministers’ Conference was launched on April 19, 2024 and has intensified the digital policy exchange between the federal states and underlined the high relevance of digital topics. Now the good approaches of the first meetings must be translated into concrete measures.

“We welcome the regular exchange within the framework of the Digital Ministers’ Conference as an important signal for the importance of digital issues in Germany. After all, we can’t afford to have small states, especially when it comes to expanding the digital infrastructure. The standardization of central regulations across all federal states is an important element in facilitating the expansion of fiber optics and creating a better investment environment,” explains Jan Simons, Head of State and Municipal Policy at BREKO.

One example of the constructive work of the Digital Ministers’ Conference is its resolution of 28.03.2025 to simplify the administrative procedures for laying fiber optics with the aim of exempting approval as far as possible. “The Digital Ministers’ Conference has developed some really helpful approaches. In order to make this new institution a success in the long term, we now need concrete, effective results that make the added value of the digital policy exchange between the federal and state governments visible,” demands Simons.

Sven Knapp, head of BREKO’s capital city office, is optimistic about the planned establishment of a federal digital ministry: “We expect the Merz government to drive forward digitalization in Germany with an independent federal digital ministry and thus also provide a positive impetus for digital policy cooperation between the federal and state governments. It is now important to clarify the responsibilities and budget of the new ministry efficiently in order to make it capable of acting quickly. Because there must be no standstill in digital policy.”

“Experience in states such as Hesse shows that tangible progress can be made by establishing a digital ministry,” adds Simons.

BREKO will continue to closely follow the work of the Digital Ministers’ Conference and actively advocate the improvement of the framework conditions for fiber optic expansion.