Lower Saxony: More than two thirds of the measures in the digitalization master plan implemented

On the occasion of the third anniversary of the publication of the Digitalization Master Plan, Lower Saxony’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Digitalization, Dr. Bernd Althusmann, gave a positive interim assessment of the implementation of the digitalization projects adopted in the plan. For example, 71 percent of the measures from the master plan have already been completed. A further 24 percent of the catalog of measures is currently being implemented.

A central task of the master plan is the creation of nationwide digital infrastructures in order to guarantee all citizens of Lower Saxony access to digital participation. However, the availability of fast internet connections with gigabit speeds is a mandatory prerequisite for this. These should be available to all households in Lower Saxony by 2025. According to the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, Transport and Digitalization, a great deal has already been achieved in this regard. For example, the availability of gigabit access has increased tenfold from six to over 60 percent within three years. In addition, the majority of schools and hospitals in the state are also already gigabit-capable. Lower Saxony also has extensive coverage with LTE technology in the mobile communications sector thanks to the network operators’ own expansion measures. Depending on the provider, between 98 and 99.1 percent of households are currently covered by this standard. This was accompanied by the publication of the Lower Saxony campus network guideline in March of this year, the purpose of which is to promote 5G industrial and research networks. The funding enables the testing of innovative 5G-capable applications and is intended to promote the early implementation of 5G technology in Lower Saxony.

Another focus of the master plan is the development of digital skills in the state.
To this end, the establishment of digital hubs is supported in order to intensify the exchange of digital expertise and, as a result, significantly increase the level of digitalization in Lower Saxony. Digital hubs are knowledge centers and platforms to promote the transfer of knowledge from science to industry. In order to give all eight million Lower Saxons access to basic digital skills, the state government is also providing 3.4 million euros for the digitalization of adult education.