Digital connectivity in Germany has long been something of a joke. In a country where DSL connections are the norm, fibre optic broadband often sounds more like far-fetched science fiction than a perfectly normal way of connecting to the internet. However, this might all be about to change, as the government hopes a 12 billion euro investment will catapult Germany to the forefront of digital infrastructure.

Digital connectivity lacking in Germany

When it comes to all things digital, Germany doesn’t compare so well to its European cousins. Not only have expats voted it the second-worst place in Europe for digital life, but a recent EU study also found digital connectivity in the federal republic to be seriously lacking, with Germany ranking 14th out of 28.

Currently, only 8,5 percent of households in Germany have fibre optic connections, with around 500.000 of those having been installed between mid-2017 and mid-2018. Clearly, there is still a long way to go.

German government invests 12 billion euros in fibre optic

Now, however, the government is investing 12 billion euros in a new nationwide project to bring fibre optic internet to Germany. If all goes to plan, surfing speeds of up to 1000 megabits per second will be possible by 2025. The overall aim is that every region and community - and preferably every house - will soon have fibre optic.

Draft legislation to pave the way has already been submitted, meaning that a final decree could be issued as soon as 2020. Once in place, pots of up to several billion euros each would be available for individual internet or utility companies to install fibre optic connections in homes across Germany.