06 Juni Joint press release by ANGA and VATM
In every rented flat: the state of fibre optics in German homes – study reveals successes and challenges in high-speed internet
Cologne, 6 June 2025. The new German government’s goal is to provide comprehensive fibre optic coverage to every (rental) home. But how far has Germany come in terms of supplying homes with high-performance infrastructure? The two competing associations ANGA and VATM have now presented their first study that explicitly examines the status quo of FTTB/H connections to homes. The joint market analysis on in-house supply, which DIALOG CONSULT conducted on behalf of the two associations, shows who has been working to provide Germany with fast internet so far.
- 7.6 million residential units in Germany are already connected to FTTH (fibre to the home). Competitors are developing 3.9 million residential units from this total.
- The expansion is moving fastest in single-family and two-family homes. For multi-family homes, competitors are leading in full FTTH rollout: they have already connected 1.7 million homes.
- More than half of FTTH in-house connections are financed by competitors.
Andreas Walter, author of the study and managing director of DIALOG CONSULT, emphasises: „The study highlights the different expansion strategies: the clear goal of the competitors is to provide customers with fibre optics. With its Homes Passed strategy, Telekom is still only building a few connections.“ This means that fibre optics have not yet been laid all the way to the home, but usually only up to the curb.
The market analysis also shows that providing fibre optics within large apartment buildings is particularly challenging. ‚We continue to rely on close cooperation with the housing industry so that we can expand quickly and in a coordinated manner,‘ explain ANGA’s managing director Philipp Müller and VATM’s managing director Dr Frederic Ufer. For the housing industry and property owners, it is often crucial to combine fibre optic cabling with other upcoming renovation and optimisation measures for the home.
The costs of in-house provision should not be underestimated. Depending on the building structure and access, the costs are estimated at between €600 and €1,400 per residential unit. Connecting the approximately 22 million households in multi-family buildings that do not yet have a fibre optic connection will require up to €22 billion, based on average costs of €1,000 per household.
“Competition for network level 4 works under the current legal regulations.On the other hand, new legal initiatives for in-house expansion are not helpful. The long-term, substantial investments in fibre optic expansion require stable and reliable framework conditions,” said Ufer and Müller.
The right decisions are now crucial for the further expansion of fibre optics. “The industry needs transparency for the conversion of old DSL copper lines to modern high-speed connections in the coming years. An active role by the Federal Network Agency would benefit competition between providers and thus also freedom of choice for citizens. What is needed now are clear rules on when and where which connections will be converted so that these customers can then be offered the best possible deals in the near future,” demand the managing directors.
The market analysis by Dialog Consult can be found on the ANGA and VATM websites.
