Vogtlandkreis, July 4, 2018 – On Wednesday morning, the Minister President of the Free State of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, opened the way to the digital future of the Vogtlandkreis district with the handover of a funding decision on the company premises of Kobra Formen GmbH in Lengenfeld. The major regional project is being launched with around 16 million euros from the Federal Broadband Funding Program of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) and 13.1 million euros in funding from the Free State of Saxony. The district project will connect more than 25,000 households and over 3,470 companies to high-speed internet. Various regional and national operators applied for the EU-wide tender to supply rural areas with high-performance internet connections. The bureaucratic hurdles of the European procurement directives slowed down the process as private-sector investors pushed ahead with the expansion in the region. Thanks to close cooperation, the Vogtland district and aconium, the sovereign project sponsor for the federal funding program, succeeded in achieving maximum quality and performance for the region. Thanks to intelligent zoning, it was possible to strengthen the self-economic expansion by regional providers and enable gigabit infrastructures for the funded area. Rolf Keil, District Administrator of the Vogtland district, praised the close cooperation between the municipalities, the district and the two funding bodies. The funding for broadband expansion is essential for the region: “Digitalization in all areas of life requires high-performance networks in order to keep pace with global progress. The aim is to create the material basis for SMEs to thrive in the region.” The Vogtland district is one of the first districts in Saxony to embark on the path to the gigabit society. Tim Brauckmüller, Managing Director of aconium GmbH, explained: “Now begins a tour de force for all expanding companies! We need to reduce bureaucracy at all levels in order to be able to quickly implement broadband expansion so that models like the one in the Vogtland district can succeed much more frequently.” Minister President Michael Kretschmer thanked the project sponsor aconium for the close coordination with the Saxon authorities and emphasized the necessity of gigabit expansion for the Free State: “Saxony wants to regain its old and new strength! We are focusing on innovation and the future in rural areas. The decision for broadband is a decision for rural areas.” In her video message, Yvonne Magwas, Member of the Bundestag, explicitly thanked Minister President Kretschmer, District Administrator Keil, Tim Brauckmüller and Daniel Knohr from the project sponsor for their commitment. She wished everyone involved the best for the Vogtland district’s next steps on the road to strong broadband coverage. In her statement, Dr. Vesta von Bossel, Board Representative for Broadband Expansion at Deutsche Telekom, pointed out the interlinking of broadband expansion and mobile communications. She also explained: “The ambitions in politics are high when it comes to fiber-to-the-home expansion.” However, the focus must be on civil engineering capacities.
Photo above: Holger Stichel (Managing Director of Kobra Formen GmbH, 2nd from right) leads Michael Kretschmer (Prime Minister of the Free State of Saxony, center), Tim Brauckmüller (Managing Director of aconium GmbH, 2nd from left) and other participants through the company premises of Kobra Formen GmbH as part of the handover and signing of the contract for broadband expansion. 04.07.2018, Lengenfeld (Vogtland).
Photo below: l-r: Minister President of the Free State of Saxony Michael Kretschmer, Rolf Keil (District Administrator of Vogtlandkreis) and Tim Brauckmüller (Managing Director of aconium GmbH) on 04.07.2018 in Lengenfeld at Kobra Formen GmbH as part of the handover of the notification and signing of the contract for broadband expansion.
Photo credits: aconium GmbH / Florian Schuh