© dpa
In Berlin, each of the approximately 700 public schools now has a high-performance fiber optic connection for fast internet. A corresponding program was completed six months ahead of schedule, according to Torsten Kühne, State Secretary for School Construction and School Digitization.
He spoke of an important milestone for the digital infrastructure of schools. This will benefit around 35,000 teachers and other school employees as well as 400,000 students. The Senate launched the program about three and a half years ago in the summer of 2022 as part of Berlin's digitization strategy. It involved equipping schools with modern digital infrastructure such as broadband connections and Wi-Fi, so that fast internet is now available in classrooms.
The education authorities estimated the costs at more than €50 million. The state contributed €24 million, with a further €27 million coming from the federal and state governments' Digital Pact for Schools. “Fast internet is as important today as water and electricity,” explained Martina Klement, Berlin's State Secretary for Digitalization and Administrative Modernization. “Without a stable and fast connection, there can be no good digital education and no access to future technologies.” Now, students can work with modern digital applications, including artificial intelligence (AI), directly in the classroom.