Internet - Millions for fiber-optic connections in Thuringia
Thuringia supports broadband expansion in Thuringia this year with approximately 330 million Euro from the Federal and State budgets. The Thuringian Fiber Optic Society, as the main applicant in the state, is currently planning to apply for funding for six to nine projects, according to the Economic Ministry. Municipalities and counties could also submit funding applications independently. However, planning from municipalities is currently not known. The expansion of infrastructure is primarily the responsibility of the telecommunications industry, according to the ministry.
Thuringia has caught up in the build-out of the fiber-optic infrastructure, in part due to intensive funding measures. As Wirtschaftsstaatssekretär Carsten Feller stated, "The Federal Government, the State, municipalities, and the telecommunications industry are all being called upon [to contribute]."
Investments in digital infrastructure
According to reports, a total of around one billion Euro from all available federal and state programs since 2015 and still in the coming years will flow into the subsidized broadband expansion in Thuringia. This would result in fiber-optic connections to buildings. According to the reports, more than 75% of industrial estates and public buildings in Thuringia, as well as 90% of Thuringian schools, have been integrated into the subsidized broadband projects of the Federal and State governments.
Current status and future plans
Approximately 24% of industrial estates and around 17% of companies in Thuringia can currently be supplied with fiber-optic connections to the building. 56% of schools in the state have gigabit-capable connections. However, only 14% of private households can currently be supplied with fiber-optic connections.
Deutsche Telekom and GlasfaserPlus plan to connect approximately 42,000 households in Thuringia to the fiber-optic network by 2024. Of these, 14,500 connections are planned to be subsidized. The plans of the two companies include the fiber-optic supply of an additional 260,000 households. Of these, 28,700 are planned to be subsidized by the companies.
- The German Press Agency reported that BMWi, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, is supporting the broadband construction in Thuringia, contributing significantly to the regional expansion of glass fiber connections and subsequently improving the Internet access for many households and businesses.
- In Erfurt, a key city in Thuringia, the Thuringian Fiber Optic Society is collaborating with other entities to apply for funding for broadband projects, aiming to further extend the reach of glass fiber connections in the region.
- As part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen digital infrastructure and improve internet connectivity, plans have been announced to connect an additional 260,000 households in Thuringia to the fiber-optic network, with subsidies provided by both the German government and telecommunication companies like Deutsche Telekom and GlasfaserPlus.
