Berlin wants to drive forward gigabit expansion

The end of a bundle of fiber optic cable is seen at a construction site.

The Senate, Berlin's districts and the responsible telecommunications companies want to drive forward the expansion of gigabit networks and 5G mobile communications in a new steering group.

As the Senate Department announced this afternoon, the new committee began work on Monday (March 14, 2022). ccording to the statement, the stakeholders signed a "Declaration on the Joint Implementation of the Gigabit Strategy" during a constituent meeting.

Citywide fiber optic network by 2030

This declaration stipulates for Berlin to be supplied with download speeds of up to one gigabit across the board by 2025. By 2030, this is to be achieved via a citywide fiber optic network. When it comes to mobile communications, the state government is aiming for all households, company locations and above-ground traffic routes to be covered by the 5G mobile network by 2025.

Telecommunications companies responsible for expansion

The expansion is to be driven by the private sector and therefore falls under the responsibility of the telecommunications companies. According to the Senate and the districts, the steering group and the joint declaration are intended to help remove obstacles hindering the expansion and create "investment-friendly conditions. "As a central monitoring and steering body, the committee ensures that strategic goals are achieved," it said. The constituent meeting was also attended by Berlin's Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) and Stephan Schwarz (independent), Berlin's Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises.