German regional utility and telecoms company EWE is in talks with potential partners, including Telekom Deutschland, to help it achieve its aim of rolling out high speed internet connections to one million homes in northern Germany. Reuters quotes EWE’s CEO Matthias Brueckmann as saying that the firm is looking to invest EUR1.2 billion (USD1.3 billion) in the expansion of its fibre-optic access network to one million households in the next ten years and is in discussions with Telekom Deutschland (the domestic fixed and mobile unit of Deutsche Telekom), which is seeking local partners to achieve its national broadband targets. Brueckmann noted that a potential agreement could see Telekom pay to access EWE’s cables in areas where it does not have its own networks, enabling it to market its services in rural regions. EWE, which is based in Oldenburg in Lower Saxony, says its fibre-optic network currently covers around 100,000 homes, while a further 900,000 are passed by infrastructure comprising a mix of fibre and copper cables.
Earlier this week, TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate reported that Telekom Deutschland had teamed up with energy and infrastructure company innogy to accelerate the expansion of broadband networks, particularly in rural areas.