It is as understandable as controversial: The Federal Network Agency has presented initial plans for the abolition of internet access via DSL. As of today, around 20 million households would be affected by this measure.
EU planning too fast for Germany
A corresponding Impulse paper The authority is based on corresponding requirements of the EU Commission. According to this, a clear priority will be on the fiber optic in the future. A parallel continued operation of copper networks is considered uneconomical – and their decommissioning is issued as a goal. However, it is clear: “The shutdown of DSL is a decided thing, but it will not happen overnight”, “as the Federal Network Agency’s paper says. The authority sees it as its task to organize an orderly transition that offers both the network operators and users planning security.
However, the complete changeover to fiber optic is not a project that is to drag on for the coming decades. The EU Commission has actually formulated the goal of switching off the copper networks by 2030. This can work in countries that have consistently developed their digital infrastructures in recent decades.
However, this was not the case in this country. “However, this seems unrealistic due to the development of expansion and the demand for fiber optic connections for Germany,” admits the Federal Network Agency accordingly. With a step plan, however, you now want to ensure that the changeover is at least launched.
Three stages
The first phase of this is basically already running. It provides for the expansion of fiber optic networks parallel to the copper network – users should be won with attractive offers for the new technology. If a region is at least 95 percent opened with glass fiber, it goes into the second stage: the network operator can then submit planning to switch off the copper network, which then also includes the termination of existing DSL contracts.
After the approval of such plans, the third phase will go into the third phase. With one year a flow period, users are informed about the final switch -off date. In connection with this, you should receive offers for alternative network connections. A regulation also states that the copper network may only be switched off when all customers have changed and nobody suddenly stands without internet – it remains to be seen how this can work in practice.
