Germany to Expand Digitalization with Faster Procedures - Northeastern Germany’s fiber-optic boom connects 60,000 homes in record expansion
Access to high-speed internet has grown rapidly across northeastern Germany. Since 2015, over 60% of households in the region now have fiber-optic connections, thanks to a federal funding initiative. The push for digital expansion has also seen major projects completed, including a €127 million network in Vorpommern-Rügen.
The federal government’s fiber-optic expansion program began in 2015 with nearly €3 billion in available funds. So far, around half of that budget has been used to roll out faster connections across the northeast.
A key milestone arrived in September 2021, when the Stiftung Pommersche Evangelische Kirche finished a large-scale fiber-optic network in Vorpommern-Rügen. The project, which took over seven years to complete, cost around €40 million. It was jointly funded by the federal government, the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and the district itself. The €127 million scheme now provides high-speed internet to nearly 60,000 households and 1,800 businesses in the area. To speed up future expansions, the state government is simplifying planning and approval processes. Proposed changes include updates to the regional building code, digital building permit applications, and improvements to the broadband portal.
The completed network in Vorpommern-Rügen marks a major step in the region’s digital upgrade. With streamlined procedures on the way, further expansions are expected to progress faster. The goal remains to bring reliable, high-speed internet to even more households and businesses in the coming years.
