Broadband for Uckermark: Communities fight with unexpected costs!

Broadband for Uckermark: Communities fight with unexpected costs!

Uckermark, Deutschland - In the Uckermark, there is reason to be happy, because the nationwide broadband expansion has now been officially completed. Over 10,000 households in 33 municipalities benefit from the connection to the high-speed internet. Nevertheless, the decision has not remained without challenges and financial burdens for the municipalities. The district sees itself as a pioneer after the so -called white spots in the broadband network have been largely removed. As reported Nordkurier, the promised fiber optic connections are not without problems.

Mayor Peter Gerhardt from Uckerfelde is faced with unforeseen costs, which can be up to 20,000 euros for wiring in two apartment blocks. These expenses are not planned in the municipal budget and thus present the municipality in front of a real binding. Stadtwerke Schwedt confirm that the existing funding program only covers the house connection and not the often complicated cabling within the buildings. This leads to high costs, especially in apartment buildings, which the municipal residential owners cannot bear themselves.

The financial burden on the municipalities

An additional problem is the fact that there is currently no funding for the internal cabling. As Stadtwerke Schwedt say, they offer help for wiring within the buildings for a fee. Mayor Gerhardt criticizes this situation because it is burdened by the municipalities while private providers benefit from the improvements. "It is a challenge to reconcile the demands of the tenants with the financial possibilities of the municipalities," says Gerhardt.

The municipality of Hohengüstow plans to provide funds for 2026 to further advance the cabling. Gerhardt emphasizes that the completion of the network represents a milestone, but does not mean the end of the problems, since the last cabling often takes a back seat.

a few numbers and facts

The federal government supported the project as part of a total funding of around 82 million euros, while the state of Brandenburg has provided an additional 50 million euros for broadband expansion. This is a crucial step towards Gigabitgesellschaft. The comprehensive expansion is not only important for the quality of life of the citizens, but also for the settlement of companies and creative minds in rural regions. DSL via Kabel emphasizes the importance of expansion to increase the quality of life and work.

according to the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture , broadband expansion is also decisive for the future viability of rural areas. However, the path to digital participation is peppered with challenges, especially in regions with low population density, where economy and long expansion times make progress difficult.

Overall, the Uckermark remains on the right path to the digital future, but the municipalities are challenged to cope with the costs incurred and overcome the last hurdles. In this context, the expansion of gigabit networks will be viewed as a significant goal by 2030 in order to ensure the attractiveness of rural regions in the long term.