The broadband expansion in the municipality of Rottenbuch in the Pfaffenwinkel region of Upper Bavaria is progressing so that all 26 districts of the rural municipality will soon be able to benefit from a comprehensive broadband network. The moraine hills of the Alpine foothills are home to 1,800 inhabitants, who, together with the regional economy from the district of Weilheim-Schongau, are confidently looking forward to being connected to the broadband network.
Tourism plays a particularly important role for Rottenbuch. The state-approved resort is located on the 413 km long Romantic Road, the oldest vacation route in Germany, which runs from Würzburg to Füssen. The municipality is a tourist attraction with numerous hiking routes and trails, such as the popular Way of St. James. Mayor Bader knows how important a fast internet connection is for tourism in the region: “In the tourism sector in particular, you have to focus on digitalisation across the board to avoid falling behind.” The comprehensive broadband expansion not only offers the corresponding infrastructure as added value for guests in the village and outside areas, but also enables the village and tourism providers to present themselves in a contemporary way with clear and digital information thanks to a faster internet connection in order to generate visitors.
As an old monastery village, the municipality of Rottenbuch is keen to take advantage of the new digital opportunities offered by the broadband connection. According to Bader, the connection to the broadband network will immensely increase its attractiveness, especially for young people and young families. “But we also see long-term opportunities in the medical sector,” he adds. With fast internet connections, e-health applications or remote diagnoses are possible, which can be particularly helpful for older citizens from outlying areas. Rural areas in particular will benefit from the growing e-health sector in the future, so that residents can receive expert medical help at any time.
Until 1803, the village and its current neighboring communities of Böbing and Wildsteig were part of the Klosterhofmark of the Augustinian monastery of Rottenbuch. Even at this time, great importance was attached to the modern education of the children of the Hofmark. From the 16th century onwards, the monastery, which is now a popular tourist attraction in the municipality, provided free education so that everyone could read, write and do arithmetic. In the 19th century, the municipality of Rottenbuch was created as a result of the Bavarian municipal edicts and its population grew continuously. A postal expedition was set up and the Echelsbacher Bridge was built, the widest-span Melanbogen Bridge in the world, so that the municipality was gradually connected to the region’s growing infrastructure. Even after 1945, Rottenbuch was open to new ideas and renewed the electricity grid as well as the drinking water and sewage supply according to the latest standards, introduced the telephone self-dialling service and supported mechanization and mechanization in agriculture. This attitude continues to this day, with the municipality continuously modernizing its buildings and infrastructure.
Regarding the importance of broadband expansion, Mayor Bader emphasizes: “We consider broadband supply to be just as important as a water or electricity connection.” For the broadband expansion, the municipality of Rottenbuch is receiving funding from the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure’s(BMVI) federal broadband funding program to cover a profitability gap. Following the handover of the final funding decision in August last year, the ground-breaking ceremony for the start of construction work took place on March 1. With the help of funds from the federal broadband funding program, the municipality had a master plan drawn up for the entire municipal area. Thanks to the partnership with the neighboring municipality of Böbing, Rottenbuch can benefit from synergy effects. Rottenbuch is receiving 1.44 million euros from the federal broadband funding program and is raising a further 483,000 euros of its own funds. The state of Bavaria is also funding the infrastructure project with 483,000 euros. Around 30 kilometers of civil engineering work is to be carried out as part of the project.
As a result of the project, 540 households, 60 companies and nine institutional customers, including the town hall and an administrative building, four educational institutions, two emergency services and the elementary school, will benefit from transmission speeds of 50 Mbit/s and higher. More than 80 percent of the connections in the project area can be supplied with 100 Mbit/s or more at the end of the project. Franziska Sedlmeier, principal of Rottenbuch elementary school, expects faster and more stable Internet access for her school as a result of the broadband expansion in the village. This will enable digital applications to be integrated into lessons, for example, or the school’s administration to be organized more efficiently. Specifically, the school plans to equip the classrooms with document cameras, a projector, laptops and, if possible, interactive whiteboards. The new purchases will supplement the existing computers. These will be used by the pupils for research in the individual subjects and for learning programs, for example. “Digitalization is playing an increasingly important role in lessons,” says Franziska Sedlmeier. In education, students are taught how to use digital applications, how they work and how they are used to impart knowledge.
Local authorities in Bavaria can receive funding through the state funding program Masterplan BAYERN DIGITAL II, which supports IT equipment in Bavarian schools, among other things. With the help of the federal broadband funding program, they receive the technical prerequisites to exploit these new opportunities.
Photo above: Aerial view of the municipality of Rottenbuch in the district of Weilheim-Schongau.
Photo credit: Municipality of Rottenbuch
Photos below: The town hall of the municipality of Rottenbuch; The connection to the broadband network; A primary school class works on computers in class.
Photo credits: Rottenbuch municipality and Rottenbuch elementary school.