A symbolic ground-breaking ceremony under the maypole in Siebenbach on 19 June 2018 marked the start of the expansion project in the district of Mayen-Koblenz, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) as part of the federal broadband funding program. The community center in Siebenbach, where the official ceremony was held, is located in one of the sparsely populated areas of the Rhineland-Palatinate district that will benefit from a connection to the broadband network in the future.
Once the infrastructure project is completed, more than 3,500 households within the district boundaries will be supplied with bandwidths of at least 50 Mbit/s. More than 200 companies are to receive a gigabit connection, meaning they will be able to access data transfer rates of 1 Gbit/s and higher. Public institutions such as schools and community centers will also benefit from access to high-speed Internet. The broadband network will be set up using the economic gap model.
In addition to Interior Minister Roger Lewentz (Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Interior and Sport), Alfred Schomisch (mayor of the Vordereifel association of municipalities) and District Administrator Dr. Alexander Saftig (Mayen-Koblenz district), many of those responsible for the joint project, including Manfred Henning (Regional Manager of aconium for Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, project sponsor of the BMVI) and the other mayors of the municipalities involved, took the opportunity to grab an oversized spade at the celebratory event. “The expansion in Mayen-Koblenz is an excellent example of good cooperation,” praised Interior Minister Lewentz. Three different telecommunications companies are implementing the district project as part of a close cooperation between local authorities, the district, the state of Hesse and the federal government. Those involved praised the new infrastructure as an opportunity for rural areas: “Broadband coverage is the magic potion of the future,” explained Lewentz. Municipal mayor Alfred Schomisch agreed and emphasized: “Nowadays, broadband is an elementary part of public services, just like electricity and water.”
Photo above: District Administrator Dr. Alexander Saftig (Mayen-Koblenz district, front row 3rd from left), Mayor of Mendig Jörg Lempertz (front row 4th from right, with one hand on the spade), Manfred Henning (aconium GmbH, front row center), Minister of the Interior Roger Lewentz (Ministry of the Interior and Sport Rhineland-Palatinate, front row 4th from right with both hands on the spade), Mayor of the Vordereifel municipality Alfred Schomisch (front row 3rd from right) at the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony.) at the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony for the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Siebenbach on 19.06.2018. Photo gallery: Manfred Henning (aconium GmbH) in the community center in Siebenbach and together with District Administrator Dr. Alexander Saftig (district of Mayen-Koblenz) and Interior Minister Roger Lewentz (Ministry of the Interior and for Sport Rhineland-Palatinate) on 19.06.2018. Photo credits: aconium GmbH