Leading telecommunications associations are calling for more transparency in fiber optic expansion in Germany. They accuse Telekom of targeted double expansion and hope that politicians will impose stricter rules.
In three letters to the federal government, the associations of Telekom competitors have called for more transparency in the expansion of the broadband network with fiber optic lines. The telecommunications associations Breko, Anga and VATM accuse Deutsche Telekom of nipping competition in the bud with a targeted double expansion of fiber optic routes.
Specifically, in the letters to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Digital Minister Volker Wissing and Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the associations are concerned with a report from the Federal Network Agency on double fiber optic expansion projects. Last summer, the Digital Ministry set up a monitoring center at the Federal Network Agency to record the expansion. Although an evaluation of more than 300 cases has been available to the State Secretary Stefan Schnorr, who is responsible in the Digital Ministry, for weeks, the authority’s report has not yet been published, according to the letters.
A spokesman for the Digital Ministry, however, told the dpa news agency that there was no report yet: “Both expanding companies and local authorities have reported numerous cases of overbuilding. The monitoring body’s clarification of the facts has not yet been completed.”
Higher costs and uncertainty
For months there has been repeated criticism of Telekom’s expansion of the fiber optic network. The associations accuse Telekom of its business policy leading to “massive uncertainty among local citizens who do not understand why two fiber optic networks should be built at once – but in the end there may be none at all.”
Telekom’s competitors assume that the announcement of a double expansion or the actual double expansion will tie up the already scarce resources in civil engineering and planning as well as in the approval authorities. They also led to cost increases. According to competitors, this prevents rapid expansion in the area.
Telekom rejects allegations
A “clear rejection of a strategically destructive superstructure” is overdue, says the letter to the Chancellor. “We expect that the company, which is still largely owned by the federal government, ensures appropriate transparency during expansion, does not crowd out other companies, and does not strategically thwart the federal government’s goals out of self-interest,” Breko demanded. Anga and VATM.
A spokesman for Telekom rejected the associations’ allegations: “Our competitors are apparently trying by all means possible to put pressure on an independent authority.” Telekom is building two thirds of all new fiber optic connections in Germany. At the same time, the spokesman emphasized: “We are also being built over.” The Federal Network Agency itself reported 200 overbuilding cases.