Deutsche Telekom (DT), which operates in its domestic market under the brand name Telekom Deutschland, has announced plans to invest up to EUR1.1 billion (USD1.3 billion) in the deployment of a ‘gigabit network’ in Stuttgart and five surrounding districts. DT and the Stuttgart Region, which is providing funding of EUR500 million, will partner for the joint rollout of fibre-optic infrastructure in the state capital of Stuttgart and the five surrounding districts of Boeblingen, Esslingen, Goeppingen, Ludwigsburg and Rems-Murr.
The final contract will be signed by the end of the year, following which the first work to connect business parks and municipalities to the fibre-optic network will kick off immediately, with the aim of supplying 90% of company sites in business parks with fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) by 2022. By 2025, half of all households, all business parks and all eligible schools will be connected with FTTH. Ultimately, 90% of the total 1.38 million households will benefit from gigabit lines by 2030. Furthermore, LTE coverage in the region will be expanded to 98% of the population, and the region will be one of the first in Germany to get a 5G network.