29.04.25 – Yesterday, the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) published an impulse paper on the upcoming gradual transition from copper to fiber optic networks. Dr. Stephan Albers, Managing Director of the Bundesverband Breitbandkommunikation e.V. (BREKO), comments:

“In the area of digital infrastructure, a competition- and consumer-friendly regulation of the upcoming upgrade from copper to fiber optics is the most important political task in the coming months. After all, a fairly regulated farewell to the old DSL world can be a real booster for further investment in the expansion of fiber optics.

The BNetzA’s impulse paper published yesterday contains important information and questions on the implementation of the switching process. However, the central question of how the switch from copper to fiber optics should be regulated in areas where a competitor of Telekom has built the fiber optic network remains completely unmentioned. Telekom itself has no commercial interest in switching off its copper network in these areas in the near future. Therefore, the market alone will not be able to regulate this important issue.

As more than 60 percent of fibre optic connections have been built by competitors to date, the upcoming Federal Ministry for Digitization and State Modernization must find a fair solution for this constellation as quickly as possible in order to create legal and planning security for all market participants and ensure fair competition.”