Fiber agreement sealed in Baden-Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg Signs Fiber Optics Pact for Digital Infrastructure

Baden-Württemberg, a German state known for its disproportionate benefits from federal funding for digitalization, took a significant step forward in July 2025 with the signing of the Fiber Optics Pact. The pact, aimed at creating a high-performance digital infrastructure, was signed in the presence of Digitalization Minister Thomas Strobl.

The pact, which has attracted nationwide attention, sets binding principles for the interaction of various actors. These include coordinating own-economic and funded expansion measures, joint progress documentation, better integration, the introduction of a statewide Gigabit Atlas, a joint communication offensive, regular evaluation, and further development.

The state will create its own central instrument for transparent progress documentation of the Baden-Württemberg fiber optic expansion through the statewide Gigabit Atlas. To date, the state has funded over 3,700 projects for broadband expansion, with a total of around 6.74 billion euros when combined with federal funding since 2016.

Minister Strobl stated that digitalization begins with the infrastructure beneath our feet, and the pact is a demonstration of digital inclusion, economic progress, and digital sovereignty. He further added that the goal is to increase the pace of expansion with bundled forces, using the Fiber Optics Pact to build the digital fast lane in Baden-Württemberg.

In the 2025/2026 double budget, an additional 1.1 billion euros are planned for the expansion of fast internet in Baden-Württemberg. The pact involves 24 stakeholders, including municipal associations, leading telecommunications companies, industry associations, municipal utilities, and other partners.

The pact aims to optimize the glass fiber infrastructure and mobile network coverage with even closer involvement of all parties. An annual meeting at the working level will review progress, identify optimization potential, and adapt specific measures.

The Ministry of the Interior, for Digitalization and Communities, which can be contacted via their Press Office or Citizen's Representative, provided images of the signing for download. However, no specific companies or organizations were mentioned as participants who officially signed the Glasfaserpakt Baden-Württemberg on July 17, 2025, in the provided search results.

The pact partners aim to increase the visibility, acceptance, and demand for fiber optic connections through bundled public relations work. The Minister emphasized that the pact is based on the shared understanding that the fiber optic expansion in Baden-Württemberg can only succeed in close cooperation between the public sector and private companies.