Bonn/Neusäß, June 30, 2021 In his Bavarian-Swabian home, member of the German Bundestag Hansjörg Durz was honored today as a digital politician as part of an initiative by the German Broadband Communications Association (BREKO). The award was presented to the CSU politician by the Managing Director of BREKO member company LEW TelNet for his political work in the field of digitalization and digital infrastructure.

In the data center of the Neusässer-based company LEW TelNet, Hansjörg Durz today received the “Digital Politician” award for the digital policy impetus he has provided in the course of his political work as a member of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag. The award was presented by Johannes Stepperger, Managing Director of BREKO member company LEW TelNet and Deputy Spokesman of the BREKO Bavarian regional group, on behalf of the association. “Digital technologies play a key role in many areas, from education and economic development to the restructuring of the energy system and climate protection,” said Johannes Stepperger. “The gigabit network is the backbone of digitalization and therefore an important building block on our common path into the future.”

Hansjörg Durz was honored for his commitment to a future-oriented digital policy. In the discussion about the reform of the apportionability of broadband connections in apartment buildings as part of the recently passed Telecommunications Modernization Act, he successfully campaigned for a new regulation in favour of fibre optics and for more competition. Due to his constituency being dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, he is aware of the framework conditions required to make the best possible use of the opportunities offered by digitization for the economy. In the amendment to the Act against Restraints of Competition (GWB), he campaigned for the regulation of digital platforms.

Hansjörg Durz is delighted with the award from the association. “I am particularly pleased to receive the BREKO award. It represents a large number of medium-sized companies throughout Germany that are literally bringing digitalization to every milk churn in the country. There is therefore hardly a more representative type of award. It is a sign that we have done a lot of things right in this legislature. But of course, the coronavirus pandemic in particular has shown that we still have some homework to do when it comes to digitalization. I am therefore campaigning for a digital ministry in Germany in the coming legislature. It will make a decisive contribution to making administration in Germany more modern, more digital and more citizen-friendly.”

The award is part of the “Outstanding Digital Politician” initiative launched by the German Broadband Association (BREKO) under the motto “Fiber for Future”. The aim of the initiative is to highlight the importance of digital policy and digital infrastructure for all policy areas in the 2021 federal election year. As part of the campaign, the title will be awarded to politicians who have already provided important digital policy impetus in their political work.

BREKO Managing Director Dr. Stephan Albers on the award for Hansjörg Durz: “Today we are honoring a politician who, as former mayor of the city of Neusäß and member of the Bundestag, is familiar with the challenges of digital policy and fiber optic expansion at both municipal and federal level. I am particularly pleased that Johannes Stepperger will be handing over the reins. As deputy spokesman for the BREKO regional group in Bavaria, he is an important multiplier for fiber optic expansion in the region. LEW TelNet, the telecommunications company of the LEW Group, is expanding the fiber optic network in Bavarian Swabia and western Upper Bavaria by several hundred kilometers every year. Cooperation with politicians is an important factor in providing people in the region with the best digital infrastructure and enabling digital participation.”