Fiber optic expansion in Elchesheim-Illingen: won’t start until 2027!

Fiber optic expansion in Elchesheim-Illingen: won’t start until 2027!

In Elchesheim-Illingen, current developments are causing delays in fiber optic expansion. As the Latest Baden news reports, Deutsche Giganetz announced that pre-marketing of the urgently needed fiber optic network cannot start until 2027 at the earliest. Marketing was originally expected for the beginning of 2026. The reason for the delay is tied up construction capacity that will not be available until mid-2026 due to other projects.

Mayor Rolf Spiegelhalder informed the local council about the situation, which did not cause any serious excitement in the committee. Despite the relevance of the expansion for residents and local businesses, the mayor denied requests for better internet. Many companies now already have a fiber optic connection via the district's backbone network. The Lachenwiesen commercial area is also currently being connected to the system.

Challenges in the region

Elchesheim-Illingen is part of a network of eleven municipalities in the Rastatt district and has signed a cooperation agreement with Deutsche Giganetz. But while some communities such as Muggensturm and Sinzheim successfully achieved the required quota, the expansion in Durmersheim failed due to the necessary support from local residents. In Ötigheim, planned marketing in September was canceled. This shows how important the consent of the landowners is for the realization of the project; At least 35 percent of residents have to sign up for a fiber optic connection for Giganetz's investments to be worthwhile.

In the Bachstück new development area, however, Deutsche Giganetz has no plans for a fiber optic route installation plan. Instead, Vodafone is planning an alternative expansion that does not use fiber optics. The municipality's administration has been tasked with clarifying this situation and informing residents as best as possible.

Overview of fiber optic expansion in Germany

The fiber optic expansion is not just a local project, but part of a nationwide initiative. Information of the Federal Government show that nationwide fiber optic expansion is also firmly anchored in the coalition agreement. A new acceleration law is intended to speed up construction, and almost 99 percent of households in Germany now have access to fast broadband connections. Over 76.5 percent can even use gigabit connections.

The federal government is pursuing the “market before state” strategy and is implementing funding programs where the private sector is not investing sufficiently. This is particularly important in rural and structurally weak areas where supply cannot rely on market conditions.

The developments in Elchesheim-Illingen make it clear that despite the nationwide progress in fiber optic expansion, there are different regional challenges. It remains to be seen whether the planned projects will be realized in the coming years.