Connected Germany 2024 – impetus for network expansion in Germany

On 5. and On November 6, 2024, Connected Germany brought together leading minds from the telecommunications industry in Munich. Thorsten Anding from LATUS Consulting AG moderated a panel on the current state of network provisioning. Experts, including our Managing Director Kerstin Larsson-Knetsch, Jens Sikorski from Westconnect and Christian Würth from Deutsche Glasfaser Unternehmensgruppe, discussed forward-looking strategies to make fiber optic expansion faster and more efficient.

Key findings:

• Full speed ahead for fiber optic expansion: According to the BREKO Market Analysis 2024, fiber optic expansion in Germany is declining. However, the network operators participating in the panel, Westconnect and Deutsche Glasfaser, are also planning an intensive expansion next year and are keeping their foot on the gas pedal. Qualified strategic construction partners are crucial in order to be able to cope with the high construction volume.

• Digitalization as a game changer: The use of 3D trench models and augmented reality makes construction work and documentation on construction sites significantly faster and more efficient – especially in combination with so-called “Picture AI”. With the help of artificial intelligence, construction errors can be detected in real time and rectified quickly. As Fiber Experts, we are drivers of innovation in the development and use of digital technologies to make the entire construction process smarter, more transparent and more efficient.

• Holistic expansion including “Homes Connected”: In order to avoid expensive retrofits and provide customers with service contracts more quickly, home connections should be built in directly. Targeted construction marketing can also significantly increase completion rates during the construction phase.

• Slow approval procedures still an obstacle: According to the experience of the panel participants in Germany, the expansion of FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) and mobile communications continues to be slowed down by time-consuming approval procedures, which has a significant impact on the speed of expansion.

Special thanks go to Connected Germany, Total Telecom and VATM for the successful platform for exchange and networking.

The discussion highlighted the complex challenges, but also the opportunities for the German telecommunications landscape. “It was a successful industry meeting and a valuable panel discussion with our customers and partners Westconnect and Deutsche Glasfaser. Together, we can do a lot to ensure that network expansion is faster and more efficient. Digital processes are the key to this,” says Kerstin Larsson-Knetsch.