- eins and Deutsche Telekom agree cooperation for optical fiber roll-out
- A new kind of cooperation in Germany
- An optical fiber Internet connection raises the value of a property
For the first time Deutsche Telekom is cooperating with a power supplier to operate a high-performance optical fiber network to provide a city with broadband Internet. The regional provider eins energie in sachsen will construct the infrastructure and Deutsche Telekom will operate the network. The two companies signed a cooperation agreement to that effect today. As early as this fall, the first inhabitants of Chemnitz who are connected to the optical fiber network will be able to download from the Internet at speeds of up to 200 megabits per second. Up to 60,000 homes are scheduled to be connected to the state-of-the-art optical fiber network by the end of 2014. "By constructing this optical fiber network we are laying the foundation for super high-speed Internet access in many parts of Chemnitz. Being able to communicate at the speed of light improves the quality life for the people of this city and makes it even more attractive as a place to do business," said Reiner Gebhardt, Chairman of the Managing Board of eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co. KG. "We invite property owners within the footprint of the roll-out to take part in the project. This is an investment in the value of the buildings and helps boost the standing of our region." "This is the largest optical fiber project Deutsche Telekom has undertaken anywhere in Germany and this project here in Chemnitz is the first time we have entered into a cooperation with a regional utilities company," said Niek Jan van Damme, Chairman of the Managing Board of Telekom Deutschland GmbH. "eins is the local power company, the people of Chemnitz know the company, and it is an expert in the construction and operation of supply networks. We are open to work together with other enterprises and we look at all forms of cooperation, including with regional companies such as municipal and regional utilities companies or other partners, emphasized van Damme. Roll-out work will begin in April. 20,000 homes are to be connected to the new network by the end of this year. The roll-out is then to continue with a further 20,000 or so homes connected in each of the next two years. Active cooperation from property owners is necessary for the construction and roll-out of a high-performance optical fiber network in Chemnitz because eins needs the consent of the owners (what is known as the "license agreement for fiber-based campus and building networks"- NVGG) for the network construction work up to the building and inside the front door. Property owners in Chemnitz will receive mail to this effect from eins in the next weeks and months. The letter will inform them of what needs to be done to connect the households to the optical fiber network free of charge. If 80 percent of property owners in the first roll-out area opt for an optical fiber connection and ten percent of homes select a product marketed via the optical fiber connection, then the roll-out will continue step by step in additional areas of Chemnitz in 2013 and 2014. Once the optical fiber network has been completed, Deutsche Telekom will lease the network from eins and will operate it without discrimination. That means competitors will also be able to use the network for their products via wholesale products from Deutsche Telekom. A network entirely of glass Until now, telephone and Internet signals were transmitted over the last mile, i.e., between the street cabinet and the connection in the home, via copper cable. With copper cables, however, the transmission rate declines with every meter of cable. eins will roll out the optical fiber right into the apartment or house, inside the front door - leaving it ready for a telephone or the Internet to be connected. This is known as "fiber to the home" (FTTH). Copper cables no longer form part of this network as the signals are transmitted optically. Speeds of up to 200 megabits per second will be offered to begin with. No other line offers these kinds of speeds. Even higher speeds will be possible in later phases. eins will use existing transmission lines, cable ducts, conduits and pipes when rolling out the optical fiber network. Underground construction work will only be carried out where absolutely necessary. The energy supplier will commission local firms to carry out the work, thereby boosting the local economy and safeguarding jobs in the region. Connection via optical fiber gives people living within the roll-out area top-speed access to the Internet via a single line. On top of that, the same line gives them access to Deutsche Telekom's Entertain television service, including 3D TV, films in high definition, and an online video library and time-shift television. Optical fiber is the ideal basis for future services and applications such as telemedicine, automating private residential buildings (controlling lighting, alarm systems, heating, blinds and shutters, etc.), online training (e-learning) and electronic registering of power consumption (smart metering). Optical fiber also makes working from home or via videoconference even faster and more efficient. Optical fiber is also more resilient than copper cable and does not deteriorate with age. A building with optical fiber is best equipped for the future. That makes it easier to rent out or sell. A connection via optical fiber is an infrastructural decision for the next 40 to 50 years. Further information on the optical fiber roll-out is available by calling +49 (0)371 525 5454. The site also contains information for property owners about the consent form, the NVGG, necessary to participate in the optical fiber roll-out.
About eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co. KG eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co. KG is the leading municipal energy provider in the Chemnitz area. Based in Chemnitz, the company was created by the merger of Erdgas Südsachsen GmbH and Stadtwerke Chemnitz AG in August 2010. eins supplies around 400,000 residential and commercial customers with natural gas, electricity, heating and cooling services, as well as water and energy-related services. The company has approximately 1,100 employees in Chemnitz and at eight other sites and generates annual revenues of EUR 735 million (in the 2010 financial year). More than 80 percent of the value created flows back into the municipalities served by eins. The company supports youth projects, sports and culture in its coverage area. Further information is available at www.eins-energie.de. About Deutsche Telekom Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies with more than 129 million mobile customers, 34 million fixed-network lines and almost 17 million broadband lines (as of December 31, 2011). The Group provides fixed-network, mobile communications, Internet and IPTV products and services for consumers, and ICT solutions for business and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in around 50 countries and has over 235,000 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenue of EUR 58.7 billion in the 2011 financial year - over half of it outside Germany (as of December 31, 2011).