The Federal Digital Ministry is about to conclude a far-reaching agreement for fiber optic and mobile communications expansion. A draft of the declaration of intent available online at heise shows: Those involved have agreed on a system of action-guiding key figures in order to make infrastructural progress precisely measurable in the future.
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The planned Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entitled “Best Network for Germany” is scheduled to be published on June 8th. The signing was actually scheduled for the first quarter of 2026, but was delayed, among other things, due to debates about data provision.
The negotiating group is now saying that a consensus was reached last week. The document brings together the interests of the federal government, states, municipal umbrella associations as well as the leading telecommunications companies and industry associations. Those involved ignored particularly contested decisions such as the design of the migration from copper to fiber optic networks and the ongoing amendment to the Telecommunications Act (TKG) in order not to jeopardize the result.
Transparency through hard metrics
The heart of the agreement is the introduction of so-called Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). They should be updated every six months and essentially rely on data that the Federal Network Agency already collects. This foundation is supplemented by targeted queries from companies, associations, states and municipalities.
Detailed parameters of the infrastructure are recorded. This includes the expansion stages in the fiber optic area, divided according to the installation status up to the building (Homes Passed), the actual connection (Homes Connected) and activation by the customer (Homes Activated). The rate for a corresponding contract to be concluded is currently only 15 percent.
Mobile coverage is reflected in the number of locations, 5G coverage and expansion planning for the next twelve months. The focus should also be on key figures on service competition, the use of digital approval processes and the average processing time of applications.
The reporting requirements were one of the sticking points. The telcos were initially unenthusiastic about having to bear additional administrative burdens and provide extensive insights into their data. The draft states that no new bureaucratic hurdles should arise and that business secrets should be protected. But the companies must agree to the regulatory authority passing on their data to the ministry.
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Digital permissions
In return, the ministry undertakes to create a reliable, nationwide expansion forecast based on these data flows. This is intended to give municipalities early planning security and, in the best case, make time-consuming funding applications unnecessary.
At the same time, the states and municipalities are promising to speed up the process. Building permits should be standardized through the comprehensive use of digital application processes. The industry, in turn, is pledging significant investments for the next three years. How high this sum will be is still unclear. The signatories are committed to open network access for third-party providers (“Open Access”) and want to continue the dialogue on a permanent platform.
(wpl)
