Berlin, October 24, 2022 On October 23, the news agency dpa reported on a "fire letter" from 14 federal states and the leading municipal associations to the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs (BMDV). In the view of the associations Bitkom, BREKO and VATM, the statements made in this letter by the federal states and municipal umbrella organizations regarding the funding freeze are a slap in the face for all companies that invest in the expansion of fiber optic networks in Germany and thus make a significant contribution to the fact that Germany is now making good progress in the expansion of high-speed Internet. Instead of an emotionally driven, sham public debate, Bitkom, BREKO and VATM are calling for a fact-based discussion and solutions that focus on prioritizing municipalities with particularly poor coverage.

Berlin, 19.10.2022 The German Broadband Association (BREKO) comments on the funding freeze for broadband expansion announced today by the BMDV: "The large number of funding applications received and the resulting necessary funding freeze show that the 'natural prioritization' of eligible areas announced by the federal states is not working. This development underlines very clearly that we need clear rules and effective prioritization for the distribution of funding for fiber optic expansion to ensure that particularly disadvantaged areas are supported and that taxpayers' money is used in a targeted manner.

Munich/Bonn, October 19, 2022 The Bavarian state government agrees with telecommunications network operators, the Bavarian municipal umbrella organizations as well as the Federal Association of Broadband Communication (BREKO) and the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU) on measures to provide the state with nationwide fixed and mobile network coverage "at gigabit level" by 2025.

Bonn, October 17, 2022 As the leading fiber optic association, the German Broadband Association (BREKO) awards telecommunications network operators with a seal of quality. The award of the "Real Fiber" quality seal is linked to criteria such as the willingness to invest in fiber optic networks to buildings and homes (FTTB/FTTH). Another prerequisite is that the award-winning company gives priority to the expansion of these genuine fiber optic connections in relation to other technologies.

Berlin/Brussels, October 14, 2022 The German Broadband Association (BREKO) today published a position paper on the "fair share" debate gaining momentum in Germany, in which major European telecommunications companies such as Telekom, Orange, Vodafone and Telefónica ("big telcos") are calling for big tech companies to share the costs of network expansion. In the view of BREKO, which represents the majority of alternative telecommunications network operators in Germany, the debate on the fair participation of big tech companies in network costs must be conducted constructively and with an open mind, including the alternative network operators as drivers of fiber optic expansion in Germany and many European countries.

Berlin, 29.09.2022 - Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz today presented the "Economic defense shield against the consequences of the Russian war of aggression" together with Vice Chancellors Robert Habeck and Christian Lindner. The plans include the introduction of an electricity price brake for consumers and all companies. The German Broadband Association (BREKO) has issued the following [...]

Bonn, September 6, 2022 - Fiber optics for all by 2030: The German government has set high targets for the nationwide expansion of the future-proof digital infrastructure in its gigabit strategy. With the BREKO Market Analysis 2022, the German Broadband Association (BREKO) today presented a comprehensive overall market analysis on the development of fiber optic expansion in Germany and thus a water level report on target achievement. With fiber optic coverage of 26% (as of 30 June 2022), a first milestone has been reached. In the context of the current geopolitical and economic situation, an improvement in expansion conditions is more important than ever for achieving the German government's goal of supplying half of German households and companies with fiber optics by the end of 2025.

The German government's digital strategy addresses many important aspects of digitalization, including the importance of digital infrastructures and technologies for achieving the federal government's goals in the areas of sustainability, environmental and climate protection. However, the impact of the strategy will be limited, as the problems and solutions mentioned in it are largely known - the only thing lacking so far is implementation.

Bonn, 16.08.2022 The German Broadband Association (BREKO) issues the following press statement on the principles published today by the Federal Network Agency for determining affordable prices for telecommunications services in connection with the right to be supplied with telecommunications services: "A technology-neutral view of average prices for both telecommunications services and the necessary connection falls [...]

Bonn/Berlin, 21.07.2022 The German Broadband Association (BREKO) comments on today's publication of the regulatory order of the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) on the future regulation of access at fixed locations (Market 1), which was released yesterday by the EU Commission: