Deutsche Telekom extends broadband rollout

Deutsche Telekom confirmed plans to lay 60,000 kilometers of optical fiber in 2018. This compares to 40,000 kilometers laid in 2017.

Telekom's full fiber-optic network now measures 455,000 kilometers -- the largest in Europe. It would wrap around the Earth ten times.

Telekom calculates that it costs between 50,000 and 150,000 euros to lay a kilometer of optical fiber cable.

Deutsche Telekom kicked off a fiber-optic build-out in the port area of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

The rollout will bring fiber connections to an estimated 1,000 businesses in the area. The effort will involve laying more than 80 kilometers of fiber-optical cabling and installing 28 distribution cabinets.

“Among the federal states, Hamburg is already taking on a leading role in the provision with digital infrastructure. Fiber-optic connectivity is no
longer just a vision for our city: it’s a reality. The on-going expansion needs to make quick progress. Business parks and the Port area are particularly important in this effort to ensure that Hamburg remains an ultra-modern, highly future-ready business and industrial location. We welcome the fact that Deutsche Telekom too is driving on with the fiber-optic build-out in Hamburg,” says Frank Horch, the Hanseatic City’s minister for economy, transport and innovation.

Deutsche Telekom also noted that more than 832,000 households across Germany are now eligible for 100 Mbps service thanks to its expanded use of vectoring technology over its copper network.