- Deutsche Telekom plans to utilize the infrastructure of five city network operators in southern Germany
- 125,000 households accessible via municipal fiber-optic networks
- Shared use makes expansion of fiber-optic infrastructure profitable more quickly
Deutsche Telekom will utilize the infrastructure of five city network operators in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in future. The company has signed the necessary agreements with R-KOM in Regensburg, SÜC // dacor in Coburg, SWU Telenet in Ulm, Stadtnetz Bamberg, and Telepark Passau. In total, the cooperations cover some 125,000 households, roughly half each connected through municipal fiber-optic lines to the home (FTTH and FTTB) and through VDSL via fiber-optic lines to the cable distributors (FTTC).
"This cooperation is good for our customers, who gain access to ultrafast lines. At the same time, cooperations like these also make fiber-optic upgrades profitable for the city network operators more quickly, because the infrastructure capacity is utilized better," says Tim Höttges, CEO at Deutsche Telekom.
"The cooperation with city network operators consolidates our local strengths and enables the partnership with Deutsche Telekom, the major national provider. We are happy that Deutsche Telekom has recognized the potential of municipal fiber-optic networks and offering a further service alternative to our residents," says Alfred Rauscher, Managing Director at R-KOM.
The lines will be marketed by Deutsche Telekom through the "Zuhause Start" products starting in the spring of 2018. Marketing of the fiber-optic lines to the households (FTTB/FTTH) will follow later in the year.
Deutsche Telekom has already announced similar cooperations with NetCologne, innogy TelNet, and EWE. A joint venture will also be founded with EWE to expand the fiber-optic network and supply more than a million households with FTTB and FTTH. Höttges: "We have to team up to ensure a successful fiber-optic expansion. To achieve this, Deutsche Telekom wants to continue to collaborate with our competitors."
The company's own efforts are also ongoing: Deutsche Telekom is investing more than 5 billion euros in Germany this year alone. It operates the largest fiber-optic network in Germany with 455,000 kilometers, which will grow by a further 40,000 kilometers this year. In the coming year, another 60,000 kilometers will be added. A prerequisite for the further expansion with FTTH and FTTB, however, is that the new networks are not subject to regulatory oversight.
About Deutsche Telekom: Companyprofile
