Berlin, 14.05.2024 – The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport presented an interim report on the implementation of the German government’s digital strategy today. Sven Knapp, Head of the Capital Office at the German Broadband Association (BREKO), explains:

“The BMDV’s expansion figures underline a trend: fiber optic expansion in Germany is in full swing. This is primarily thanks to Deutsche Telekom’s competitors, who have so far managed two thirds of the fiber optic expansion. Although the challenges posed by the shortage of skilled workers, the interest rate turnaround, increases in construction costs and consumer restraint have increased, they are keeping up the pace of expansion.

In order for this to remain the case and for fiber optic investments to remain attractive in the future, companies need optimal framework conditions. It is therefore incomprehensible that the Telecommunications Network Expansion Acceleration Act (TK-NABEG) will once again not be discussed by the Federal Cabinet tomorrow. The law, which has been announced for many months, is intended to reduce bureaucracy and speed up approval procedures for fiber optic expansion and is urgently awaited by the telecommunications industry.

The German government must finally agree on this and define the expansion of telecommunications networks by law as being ‘in the overriding public interest’. This is the only way to reduce bureaucracy and speed up the approval procedures, which often take more than a year. And this is the only way the BMDV will be able to report further success stories for fiber optic expansion in the future.”