Many districts and municipalities are already benefiting from the federal broadband funding program worth billions. The North Rhine-Westphalian town of Emsdetten in the district of Steinfurt is one of them. After successfully applying for federal funding for broadband expansion in the amount of 1,242,907 euros, civil engineering work for the construction of a fiber optic network began in March of this year.
The municipal representatives and project coordinators of the city as well as representatives of the companies involved met in the Veltrup district for the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony and formulated the goals of the infrastructure project. “A good broadband supply is a prerequisite for sustainable agriculture,” explained Mayor Georg Moenikes and emphasized that the city would also become more attractive for young families thanks to fast Internet. “Fiber optics will be a huge boost for the outlying areas in particular,” he added.
The town of Emsdetten is considered a pioneer in broadband in the district of Steinfurt and was the first municipality in the administrative district of Münster to receive notification of the final amount of the grant from the federal broadband funding program. Emsdetten has proclaimed the nationwide provision of its citizens with high-performance Internet connections as one of its most important goals for the coming years. The funding will help the town and the surrounding towns on this path and enable broadband coverage throughout the area. The broadband expansion in Emsdetten has been divided into three sections: The districts of Veltrup, Austum and Hembergen will be followed by Isendorf, Aechterhoek and the Neuenkirchener Straße area before the districts of Ahlintel, Hollingen and Südring/Blumenstraße are connected.
The 408 households and 64 companies that will then be able to use Internet access with transmission rates of at least 50 Mbit/s include local farmer Heinrich Stegemann, whose farm and family are located between Steinfurt and Emsdetten. Until now, the farm has worked with an LTE solution where the high-speed volume is already exhausted by the middle of the month. This should now be a thing of the past. “The children have problems with normal surfing and I can hardly make my reports to the Chamber of Agriculture. It’s good that something is happening now!” explains Stegemann, who is longing for the gigabit network.
Digitalization benefits agriculture and new forms of work
A fast internet connection is important for the farmer’s daily work, for example to make online transfers and receive reports on the movement of livestock, fertilizer planning and the use of pesticides. With the gigabit-capable network connection, the farm will be able to use new digital applications. For example, there are plans to implement digital controls for climate and feeding systems coupled with various sensors that provide feedback in real time. The farmer adds: “Even the diagnosis of sick animals by the vet, for example based on coughing noises, without the risk of infection by the doctor is conceivable with the appropriate technology.”
Fast internet connections are a prerequisite for the digital transformation in agriculture that is currently taking place throughout Germany (PDF). Digital tools and methods enable farmers to fundamentally redesign processes such as harvesting or livestock farming, as well as the organization of farms and the marketing of products. Heinrich Stegemann also has ideas for farms that have been adversely affected by structural change and explains how they can continue to be used sustainably. Buildings could be converted into offices so that, in conjunction with the broadband access infrastructure, attractive jobs can be created in the well-connected Münsterland region. “Land consumption and the burden on transport networks would be reduced,” explains Stegemann, demonstrating one approach to how the opportunities of the new world of work could be used for the development of rural areas (PDF).
Smart City Emsdetten
In addition to the region’s broadband expansion, Emsdetten is also pursuing a smart city strategy. The topic of mobility is particularly important here. Two years ago, the city was the first municipality in the district of Steinfurt to join the “Future Network Mobility NRW”, which supports participating municipalities and districts in developing sustainable, safe and efficient mobility services. Public charging stations for e-vehicles and charging stations for pedelecs and e-bikes can now be found throughout the city. The municipal measures in the area of mobility promote the positive result of the regular audit of the European Energy Award (EEA), which Emsdetten received for the first time in 2011.
Every three years, compliance with the criteria in the fields of development planning and regional planning, municipal buildings and facilities, supply and disposal, internal organization, communication and cooperation as well as mobility is checked in order to award the Europe-wide award for climate protection and energy efficiency to a municipality again. The digital transformation opens up new opportunities for economic success and internationalization for Emsdetten. The city is thus staying true to its motto “Emsdetten. Simply. Do”.
Photo above: Aerial view of Emsdetten city center.
Photo gallery, impressions of Emsdetten: A monument to a tub maker, view of St. Pancratius church in the city center, the Emsauenbrücke bridge, the Morgentaubrunnen fountain, the Berkemeyer traffic circle, view of the train station with the “everyday figure” Helga.
Photo credits: City of Emsdetten.