Suche
Mein Konto
Dangerous sidewalk disorder in Witzenhausen: City demands a quick solution!
There are current challenges in fiber optic expansion in the Werra-Meißner district, especially in Witzenhausen. Uneven pavements and dim street lighting require urgent action.
Dangerous sidewalk disorder in Witzenhausen: City demands a quick solution!
In Obere Mühlstrasse in Witzenhausen, an urgently needed fiber optic expansion is causing a number of problems that are of great concern not only to the residents but also to the city administration. The sidewalk has been torn up for months and poses a danger because the temporary filling after the work causes numerous unevenness. The company responsible for the construction work, Plastikplus, represented by Fiberhaus, must ensure that the areas are properly restored. Witzenhausen's building authority manager Anja Schlitzer emphasizes that the company is liable for both personal injuries and property damage and is obliged to correct defects promptly. Despite the city's pressure for rapid improvements, those responsible lack any immediate opportunity to intervene.
Frank Griesel, spokesman for fiberglassplus, explains that due to capacity bottlenecks, not all work could be completed by the end of 2025. They regret the inconvenience for the residents and promise to bring the affected sidewalks into a traffic-safe condition when the weather permits. But that is not the only problem that affects Obere Mühlstrasse: the street lighting is also inadequate. Despite switching to energy-saving LED hanging lights, two out of three lamp heads are defective and there is currently no prospect of replacing them due to a lack of budget funds. Although the city is looking into optimization options in the future, the reality is currently different.
Fiber optic expansion in Germany: A challenge for municipalities
The current fiber optic expansion is seen as a real challenge nationwide. Many providers promise quick and uncomplicated expansion, but it is often the municipalities that have to struggle with the construction crews. Mayor Rüdiger Germeroth from Zierenberg has been complaining about inadequate construction work and a lack of contact persons for almost four years. The expansion is keeping not only the city of Witzenhausen, but many German municipalities in suspense. Road safety in particular often becomes a central issue, while construction companies are responsible for the quality of the work. A survey shows that Germany ranks a modest 36th out of 38 OECD countries when it comes to broadband expansion, which doesn't exactly indicate that it is a digital pioneer.
At the political level, however, the federal government is reacting with a targeted acceleration of expansion. It has decided to change the law, which has been in force since July 2025 and now declares the fiber optic expansion to be of “outstanding public interest”. This is intended to give greater weight to cell phone towers and fiber optic lines in the approval process. In the past, Germany had fallen behind in expansion, which made it necessary to pay special attention to improving the infrastructure. Currently, 76.5 percent of households are already covered with gigabit connections, but there is still a lot to be done to provide all households nationwide with fast internet connections by 2030.
In summary, it can be said that fiber optic expansion poses major challenges for many cities. The experiences from Witzenhausen show how important it is that the responsible companies fulfill their obligations. After all, it's not just about fast internet, but also about the security and quality of life of citizens.