en.Wedoany.com Reported - Germany's Deutsche Telekom will take over the fiber optic expansion in Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde, located in the Sauerland region of North Rhine-Westphalia. The project was previously handled by the joint venture "Unsere Grüne Glasfaser (UGG)", which stalled after the construction subcontractor went bankrupt. UGG is a joint venture between o2-Telefónica and Allianz Insurance.
According to local media reports, UGG originally planned to start fiber optic expansion in the third quarter, and construction had already begun in parts of Nachrodt. However, the construction company responsible for the work subsequently filed for bankruptcy. Many fiber optic providers do not carry out construction themselves but instead commission other companies, which then subcontract to lower-tier subcontractors. When cost frameworks are tight and on-site issues exceed budgets, lower-tier construction companies are prone to bankruptcy.
After one company went bankrupt, the entire expansion project in Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde came to a halt, leaving excavated roads unfinished. Deutsche Telekom will take over most of the fiber optic expansion in the area, covering regions such as Opperhusen, Einsal, Langenstück, Jahnstraße, and "Nachrodter Feld". Since Deutsche Telekom cannot take over the lines already built by UGG, all lines will be re-excavated.
Deutsche Telekom stated that approximately 2,090 households and businesses will benefit from this expansion, as it is self-financed construction without the need for pre-contracts or quota agreements. Construction in parts of Nachrodt will begin no later than October 2026, using GPON technology, which enables download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second. Users who order fiber optic tariffs during construction will receive free home connections, while those who apply only after the project is completed are expected to pay around 1,000 euros.
Currently, many communities in Germany are experiencing similar situations: some inexperienced small or emerging companies have failed after investing in fiber optic expansion. The industry lacks a nationwide overall plan and a comprehensive tendering mechanism, and there is no effective supervision of all companies' performance capabilities. In many places, expansions are announced but never built, or multiple companies repeatedly construct in the same area, leading to roads being dug up over and over. Additionally, some property management companies and owners refuse to cooperate due to concerns about costs and issues, further slowing down the process.
