Munich (dpa/lby) – At the turn of the year, the subsidies granted by the state government for the expansion of the Bavarian fiber optic network exceeded the threshold of two billion euros. This was announced by Finance Minister Albert Füracker (CSU) on Friday in Munich. According to the ministry, Internet connections with 30 megabits per second are now available for 98 percent of households in the Free State, and particularly fast gigabit connections for two thirds.
The funding is to continue in the coming years: “Our ambitious goal remains: gigabit in every house,” said the CSU politician. The state government has been promoting fast internet connections since the end of 2013, when there were practically no gigabit connections for private households. According to figures from the ministry, almost all Bavarian municipalities have participated in the funding program: a total of 2041, a share of more than 99 percent.
“The broadband expansion in Bavaria is the most successful infrastructure project in recent years,” explained Füracker. An approved grant does not mean that the money will be spent immediately, since the municipality has to award the construction contracts and the cables have to be laid. As a rule, the Free State subsidizes the funding applications from the municipalities with 90 percent of the investment sum. Including the municipal share and federal grants, the approved funds amount to 3.3 billion euros, according to the ministry.
In absolute figures, the highest subsidy from the state government flowed and flows into Füracker’s home district of Oberpfalz with an approved 456 million euros, followed by Lower Bavaria with 428 million. In both administrative districts, with their many rural communities and comparatively low population density, the rate of fast Internet connections was low at the beginning of the funding.
The largest administrative district of Upper Bavaria follows in third place with 379 million. Lower Franconia (270 million), Swabia (221 million), Upper Franconia (205 million) and Middle Franconia (152 million) follow.
The highest proportion of gigabit connections is in Upper Bavaria at 78 percent – Munich and the surrounding districts have always been well supplied with internet. At 47 percent, the gigabit quota is lowest in Lower Bavaria, the only administrative district in which the particularly fast connections are still available to less than half of the households.
