Overview

• A new government outline projects a full nationwide copper shutdown between 2035 and 2040, with area-by-area retirements potentially starting in 2028.
• The paper proposes letting the Bundesnetzagentur and fiber companies, not only Deutsche Telekom, initiate local switch-offs; Vodafone praised the direction while Telekom reserved judgment.
• Deutsche Telekom is laying FTTH in Berlin-Mitte, including Wedding, Gesundbrunnen and Moabit, aiming to pass about 126,700 homes and businesses with on-site advisors and free house connections during the build phase.
• Tenants are generally entitled to allow installations under §145 TKG and owners’ associations cannot block them under WEG rules, while retrofitting later typically costs about €800–€2,500 and take-up remains low where fiber is available.
• Telekom is pushing to update fire-safety rules that currently force in-wall cabling in stairwells, arguing approval of adhesive fiber and micro-ducts would speed in-building installs; it also highlights renewable-powered operations and the energy efficiency of fiber.