16 Mai VATM municipal advisory board officially launched – Strengthening dialogue between municipalities and the telecommunications industry on digitalisation and gigabit rollout
Berlin, 10. April 2025. The nationwide expansion of fibre-optic and 5G networks can only be achieved through joint efforts – in close and trusting cooperation between industry, districts, municipalities and cities. Together, we must also create synergies in the digitalisation of government and process optimisation that will accelerate and simplify the rollout.
To promote close cooperation, the VATM has now established its own municipal advisory board, made up of high-ranking representatives from municipal umbrella organisations and associations, as well as from the ranks of major expansion companies. The inaugural meeting took place at the headquarters of the German County Association in Berlin.
VATM Managing Director Dr Frederic Ufer emphasises: „The pace of digital infrastructure development is largely determined locally in municipalities and administrations. The perceptions of local decision-makers and their associations are extremely important for companies, especially as we are all looking in the same direction: we all want more digitalisation and faster networks for citizens and businesses.“
The Advisory Board is an important platform for exchange between the Association and representatives of municipal umbrella organisations and interest groups. Its members have direct access to the Association’s work and can thus convey the interests of cities and regions to the business community. Its honorary members meet twice a year in an advisory capacity. The clear objective is to bring the ideas and interests of municipal decision-makers, as well as their criticism of development issues in the regions, directly into the process and to give even greater encouragement to the rural development. The Municipal Advisory Council also aims to develop common positions that can be addressed directly to politicians and ministries.
The founding members from the municipal sector are Dr. André Berghegger, Chief Executive of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities; Helmut Dedy, Chief Executive of the German Association of Cities; Dr Klaus Ritgen, Advisor to the German County Association; Dr Katrin Sobania, Head of Department at the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) e.V., and Henning Witzel, Association Executive Director of the Network of Young Mayors in Germany e.V.. Industry representatives on the Municipal Advisory Board include Jörn Schoof, CCO and Managing Director of Unsere Grüne Glasfaser; Christof Sommerberg, Head of Regulation and Public Affairs at Deutsche Glasfaser; and Soeren Wendler, Co-founder and Managing Director of Deutsche GigaNetz.
