How is broadband and fiber optic expansion currently looking at the two largest German Internet providers, Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone? Both companies published new figures for their expansion projects this week.
Telekom now offers 6.2 million FTTH connections
Telekom announced that since the beginning of the year more than 1.3 million households have been able to benefit from faster Internet connections if required. In June, the Bonn-based group increased the surfing speed for 277,000 households as part of its network expansion.
According to Deutsche Telekom, the number of fiber optic connections right into the home (FTTH) rose by 200,000 to 6.2 million in June. By the end of 2024, Telekom wants to reach the mark of 10 million FTTH connections. Customers can use fiber optic tariffs with up to 1 Gbit/s via the fiber optic connection from Telekom.
But by no means everyone needs the maximum surfing speed. According to the company, around 36 million households can book tariffs with at least 100 Mbit/s in the Telekom network. More than 29 million households have the option of using a tariff with up to 250 Mbit/s or more.
Vodafone is adding more fiber optics to its network and building FTTH connections
Vodafone is also constantly expanding its broadband network. In the past 12 months, around 2,600 measures have brought more fiber optics and new segments into the network. Among other things, TV frequencies were switched off and released for high-speed Internet. Around 4,000 further measures to improve the Vodafone fixed network are planned for the next 12 months.
And the fiber optic expansion of Vodafone is now gaining momentum this year. Together with the cooperation partner Altice, Vodafone founded the joint venture OXG. The ambitious goal: In the next six years, up to seven billion euros are to be invested in the implementation of around 7 million fiber optic connections. The maximum bandwidth of the FTTH connections should be up to 10 Gbit/s.
Specifically, Vodafone announced that OXG would set up 335,000 FTTH connections in Rhineland-Palatinate, for example. According to Vodafone, however, whether the plans can be implemented also depends on approvals and surcharges for funding procedures.
Vodafone is currently marketing three fiber optic tariffs with download bandwidths of 100, 500 and 1,000 Mbit/s. The nationwide availability is likely to be low at the moment.