01 Apr. VATM press statement: Gigabit funding requires a medium- and long-term readjustment
Berlin, 1 April 2026. Following today’s call for proposals for infrastructure projects aimed at promoting gigabit connectivity, presented by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs, VATM Managing Director Dr Frederic Ufer states:
“Simpler and digital procedures, clear standards for local authority tenders, and faster implementation phases are key elements in accelerating funded projects and, consequently, the roll-out of gigabit infrastructure. The Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs has fine-tuned the funding call in the right areas. It is equally important to continue the existing programme to close the digital gap. It remains crucial that public funds are targeted where the market cannot achieve the objective on a commercial basis.
However, in the medium and long term, the legislative authorities must not be content with merely tweaking the existing funding system. Rather, a fundamental reorientation is required. The impending migration from DSL copper to fibre-optic connections will fundamentally transform the market in the coming years and present further challenges. It would be a strategic mistake to allow funding policy and the future migration path to run parallel to one another. What is needed now is a coherent overall strategy that closely integrates the continued rapid expansion of fibre-optic networks, the transition from ‘Homes Passed’ to ‘Homes Connected’, and the provision of services to hard-to-reach households from the outset. Only if policymakers finally act in a forward-looking and decisive manner can the transition to a high-performance and competitively organised fibre-optic infrastructure succeed. Politicians and the industry must engage in dialogue on this new funding regime without delay.”
