en.Wedoany.com Reported - German fiber optic network operators are adopting a phased activation strategy in response to a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) regarding the start of fiber optic contract terms. The ruling stipulates that fiber optic connection contracts take effect immediately upon signing, rather than from the date of actual availability. This means that a user's two-year contract period begins from the signing date, allowing them to switch providers at an earlier point, which adversely affects network operators.
GVG Glasfaser, based in the Kirchdorf area of Diepholz district, is rolling out a fiber optic network called "Licht im Rücken" (Light at Your Back). The approach works as follows: once a network segment is completed, it is immediately connected to an active main distributor and put into operation, allowing residents to activate their connections without waiting for the entire expansion project to finish. In Kirchdorf, GVG Glasfaser plans to connect 1,300 households. On June 17, 2026, the company held a formal groundbreaking ceremony in front of one of the two central fiber optic distributors in the area. Thanks to "Licht im Rücken," civil engineering work is expected to be completed by August of this year.
The situation is similar in Sulingen. GVG is also using "Licht im Rücken" for the expansion and has deployed two construction companies in parallel on a segmented basis. The first fiber optic connections are expected to be activated in July. Sulingen broke ground on June 16, 2026, and GVG plans to connect 7,000 residential and commercial units across the city, with the project expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2027.
Network operators are facing rising costs, with increasing construction expenses and interest rates driving up fiber optic network expenditures. For residents in Kirchdorf and Sulingen who sign up on a temporary basis, fiber optic connections are no longer free. Interested households can sign up for tariff packages under the brand name nordischnet, but must pay 399 euros for the fiber optic connection. At NetCom BW in Markzell, Karlsruhe district, this EnBW subsidiary began construction after 69% of property owners decided to opt for a fiber optic connection. NetCom BW is building FTTB connections for approximately 1,500 buildings in areas including Markzell, Burbach, Frauenalb, Pfaffenrot, and Schielberg, and is simultaneously laying power lines on 51% of its total route for nearly 600 households. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2028. Connection lengths up to 15 meters are covered by NetCom BW, while from the 16th meter onward, property owners must pay 120 euros per meter (including tax).
In areas covered by operator Stiegeler, fiber optic connections also come at a cost. In Bad Krozingen-Tunsel, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district, Stiegeler charges 750 euros for connection lengths under 10 meters. To connect 500 buildings, the company is investing approximately 1.2 million euros, with construction scheduled to begin in July. Stiegeler is also investing 1 million euros in a fiber optic network for 250 buildings in the Bittelbronn district of Horb am Neckar, with connection fees of 980 euros for temporary sign-up customers. In Morbach-Hunolstein, Bernkastel-Wittlich district, Westconnect, a subsidiary of the E.ON Group, is building a fiber optic network for 140 households. Construction began on June 15, 2026, and will continue until the end of September. Fiber optic connections are free before this period, saving residents 1,500 euros in construction costs; if an E.ON internet tariff is also booked, the connection activation fee of approximately 400 euros can also be waived.
To recover costs, network operators are strengthening partnerships with internet service providers (ISPs) to increase network utilization and boost revenue—unless legislators intervene.
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