Glasfaser Nordwest: Deutsche Telekom partners with EWE to deliver fibre in Germany

Deutsche Telekom today announced that it is joining with EWE to help connect homes throughout the northwest of Germany in a venture they are calling Glasfaser Nordwest.

 

The deal has been a long time coming.

 

It was first announced 2 years ago, promising an investment of €2 billion over the following decade. However, the venture found itself stalled by Germany’s antitrust watchdog after fellow competitors in the German market complained that Deutsche Telekom was stifling competition. 

 

In December, the venture was finally cleared to go ahead after Deutsche Telekom promised to offer access to third-party providers at ‘fair market prices’.

 

The partners also announced they will not focus solely on urban areas which already have cables, offering hope for more remote areas of northwestern Germany. These are homes which would have been uneconomic to pursue prior to this joint venture.

 

Germany’s deployment of fibre infrastructure has been markedly slower than some of its European rivals, but the formation of Glasfaser Nordwest could rapidly accelerate the catch-up process.

 

Domestic competitor Deutsche Glasfaser is also expanding, announcing that it had reached 630,000 homes last week.