Vandalism paralyzes Dettingen's fiber optic network - internet supply affected!

Vandalism paralyzes Dettingen's fiber optic network - internet supply affected!

In Dettingen, the internet connection via German fiber optics has no longer been available in the community since Friday. Vandalism damage to a distribution station caused the disruption. Unknown people have maliciously gained access to the distribution station and destroyed everything. The repair will take some time, although a time forecast is currently not possible. The municipality of Dettingen is in contact with Deutsche Glasfaser to clarify how long the repairs will take. The police were also called in to investigate the incident.

Dettingen successfully put the fiber optic expansion into operation just a few weeks ago and is one of the first communities in the Esslingen district and the Stuttgart region to be able to realize this self-economic expansion. With a fiber optic coverage of at least 90 percent, Dettingen belongs to the so-called “Club of the Nineties”. However, these advances now face an unexpected challenge.

Challenges in fiber optic expansion in Germany

The incident in Dettingen sheds light on the challenges that many municipalities in Germany have to overcome when expanding fiber optics. Work has been underway in Germany for years to improve the internet infrastructure, with the aim of providing all households and businesses with high-speed internet by 2030. This is stipulated in the Telecommunications Act, which provides for procedural simplifications for fiber optic expansion. However, many mayors, like Rüdiger Germeroth from Zierenberg, report poor construction work and a lack of contacts at the relevant companies.

In Germany, over 200 fiber optic companies are active in promoting broadband expansion. Nevertheless, there is considerable skepticism about the quality of the work. Mayor Dieter Hornung from Burghaun expressed doubts about the qualifications of some subcontractors. According to reports, local authorities are given limited legal resources to address telecommunications companies' inadequate restoration of transport routes.

Deutsche Telekom tries to take cases of damage seriously and optimize work processes, but the responsibility lies with the civil engineering companies commissioned. Peter Raue from Goetel explains that the expansion is complex and finding suitable partners is often difficult. This situation raises questions that are of central importance for fiber optic expansion in Germany.

In the long term, Germany is under pressure to improve its position in international comparison. Current data shows that Germany ranks 36th out of 38 OECD countries in broadband expansion, while the European Union has rated the country as “poor” in its expansion. Despite these challenges, there are optimists who believe that in a year and a half, half of the households in Germany will have fast internet.