Broadband expansion: Better internet for Schleswig-Holstein

14.11.2024

3 min read

The northern German states have already secured more than half a billion euros in funding for broadband expansion, putting them far ahead of the rest of the country. Schleswig-Holstein is now doubling down with an additional 50 million euros.

Even the black-green state government of Schleswig-Holstein is subject to budget constraints. However, when it comes to broadband expansion, which is already well advanced, they are making an exception. “Fiber optics are not a luxury,” quotes Der Nordschleswiger the state’s economics minister, Claus Ruhe Madsen of the CDU, in the Kiel cabinet. “High bandwidths and low susceptibility to interference are becoming increasingly important in the digital age.”

The additional 50 million euros in funding provided by the black-green coalition is primarily earmarked for infrastructure development in rural areas. This is to ensure that the economy of Germany’s northernmost state remains competitive. In terms of broadband expansion, which has otherwise been sluggish, Schleswig-Holstein already stands out like a beacon. This is evident from the latest market analysis by the Federal Association of Broadband Communications, or BREKO. According to this analysis, the promised nationwide expansion by 2030 still seems a long way off. As Digital Chiefs reported, the broadband expansion rate in June 2024 was only 43.2 percent, just 7.6 percentage points higher than the previous year. The BREKO study also shows that the pace of expansion has slowed, with an increase of only 1.6 percentage points from 2022 to 2023.

Leaders in Broadband Expansion

Schleswig-Holstein boasts the highest fiber-optic penetration with nearly 90 percent (Kiel reports 70 percent of households). Following are Hamburg with 82.7 percent and Brandenburg with 59.3 percent. Thüringen, Baden-Württemberg, and Berlin lag significantly behind with fiber-optic penetration rates ranging from 33.3 to 28.5 percent.

Kiel’s Finance Minister Silke Schneider of the Green Party emphasizes that new funding for rural municipalities and communities ensures long-term planning security: “This is an important step for the people and the economy of the state and advances Schleswig-Holstein in digitalization.”

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, 70 percent of residential addresses can already be connected via fiber optics. More than 97 percent of school locations are already supplied. “49 percent of Schleswig-Holstein residents have booked a connection and are already enjoying the benefits of data transmission with light,” Madsen is further quoted.

The state government’s goal is comprehensive fiber-optic coverage for households by 2030. In total, Kiel has allocated more than 206 million Euro for this purpose since 2013, of which 180 million Euro have already been spent or earmarked. Additionally, Schleswig-Holstein has drawn down more than 300 million Euro in federal funds.

As the ministry further reported, 1,063 cities and municipalities in Schleswig-Holstein already have fiber-optic networks, even if they are not yet fully developed everywhere. Construction is underway in 54 cities and municipalities, with another 14 municipalities in planning. Overall, Schleswig-Holstein can boast of over 20,000 kilometers of fiber-optic networks.

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