The expansion of Schalksmühle's fiber optic network is in the final stages. A Schalksmühle company is even involved in the nationwide expansion.
Schalksmühle – Bureaucratic hurdles, a lack of building materials and, above all, a shortage of skilled workers: There are many reasons that have delayed the expansion of fiber optic networks in Germany. Schalksmühle was one of the first municipalities in the Märkischer Kreis to begin large-scale expansion of the fiber optic network in 2020. The expansion is now in its final stages.
“The application process for an expansion of the so-called gray spots is currently underway.” This includes 112 addresses. It is not yet clear when the expansion will begin here. “If approved and implemented, a coverage of around 99 percent would be achieved in Schalksmühle,” says Oliver Emmerichs from the municipality's planning and construction department, summarizing the current status.
However, it has already been decided to achieve 95 percent coverage. Emmerichs hopes that the final work on the current sixth call for funding for expansion will be completed by the end of 2025. This would mean that 2,755 of the municipality's approximately 2,850 homes would be provided with a fiber optic connection.
Fiber optic expansion: Schalksmühler know-how in demand nationwide
But even if the community is completely satisfied with the result, there were also some difficulties during the work. “Given the scope of the civil engineering work, which extends across the entire community area and also into public areas and private properties, it was foreseeable that implementation would not be possible without problems,” said Emmerichs. There were repeated minor conflicts in communication, particularly in the collaboration with the various subcontractors that Telekom had commissioned to carry out the civil engineering work.
For Hendrik Dunkel, who as a member of the Junge Union is himself a strong advocate for the expansion of fiber optics and is actively involved in it as managing director of the Schalksmühle-based telecommunications equipment supplier Netceed, it is not surprising that the expansion in Germany has been so slow, even though it is so important. “In Germany, there are companies that are among the absolute world market leaders in their industries, but are unable to process orders over the Internet,” says Dunkel, painting a bizarre picture.
He finds it completely incomprehensible that, as one of the most important economic nations, it is one of the laggards in network expansion. “If we had started spontaneously, we would be much further ahead.” “To put it bluntly, a fiber optic connection should be available in every house, just like a water and electricity connection,” he explains. But Germany is still a long way from that. “They really missed the mark. Back in 2008, Chancellor Merkel announced that large parts of the country would be supplied with fiber optics by 2011. “That hasn't worked yet,” he recalls.
Fiber optic expansion: many problems and difficulties
In addition, the existing regulations make network expansion in Germany more difficult than in other countries where expansion is already much more advanced. “The fact that everything has to be regulated here in Germany and that there is a permit for everything does have its advantages, but it is unnecessarily complicated in many places,” he explains.
Dunkel makes no secret of the fact that his company is supported by bureaucratization. “The job of fiber optic technician doesn't really exist.” “Especially not as a training profession,” Dunkel continues. Nevertheless, the technicians, but also the civil engineering companies, must have qualifications in order to be involved in network expansion. The company Netceed offers training courses that impart the necessary know-how. “We work together with the network operators there.” “As a rule, the preceding fiber optic technicians are people who, ideally, are not completely unfamiliar with the field, but there are also complete career changers,” says Dunkel. Technicians from all over Germany come to Schalksmühle for the training courses. “This is a model that can perhaps work like this for another four to five years.” “Then the need for fiber optic technicians will be covered and the maintenance and upkeep of an existing network will not require as many workers as the expansion,” explains Dunkel.
Telekom also reports that it had to struggle with a shortage of skilled workers, particularly at the beginning of the fiber optic expansion. Press spokesman Maik Exner explains when asked: “Until the fiber optic expansion began, we at Telekom always ensured that the Internet became faster without the residents seeing the work being done.” This expansion is of course different. Now everyone can point the finger when something isn't working,” explains the Telekom spokesman. The company has attempted to overcome the shortage of skilled workers in civil engineering and connection technology by dividing up the work steps and by using a complex network of its own staff, such as the specially founded Telekom-Tiefbau AG and many subcontractors. At the same time, new staff are continuously being trained so that everything can be handled “according to German standards.”
Fast Internet: Last meters in Schalksmühle
And it is precisely this “German standard” that ensures that the path to complete coverage takes longer, but also offers a more reliable end result. Unlike in other countries, there are hardly any cables that run above ground in Germany. “In the Sauerland in particular, the rocky ground naturally presents a greater challenge,” explains Exner. While work in Schalksmühle was already in the final stretch, Telekom expects that more urban areas could bring with them other problems.
Meanwhile, the community is happy that the worst is already behind them. “Unfortunately, the community is usually only contacted when there are problems; positive feedback is rare.” “Since no feedback has been received for some time, I assume that satisfaction with the connection option now prevails,” summarizes Emmerichs.
