Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport (Bundesministerium fur Digitales und Verkehr, BMDV) says it made available EUR3.6 billion in funding for the expansion of fibre-optic networks in 2023. In total, around 638,000 additional fibre-based connections in approximately 2,300 municipalities were enabled this year. Such expansion has taken place within the framework of the ‘Funding to Support the Gigabit Expansion of Telecommunications Networks in the Federal Republic of Germany’ guidelines of 31 March 2023, which aim to complement the dynamic, self-financing fibre-optic expansion by telecoms companies without hindering private investments.
‘Our compass on the path to fast networks is the gigabit strategy, in which we have bundled our goals and measures,’ said Federal Minister Volker Wissing, adding: ‘By 2030, we want fibre-optics to the home across the board and the latest mobile communications standard everywhere people live, work and travel. The vast majority of connections are made possible through private investments. We are closing the remaining gap with our targeted funding, which benefits precisely those regions where there is a lot of catching up to do and where expansion by telecoms companies is not economically viable.’