Lack of Sufficient Households in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Equipped with Fiber Optics, Says CDU - Limited Fibre Connections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Homes, According to CDU
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Lags Behind in Fiber Optic Expansion
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a largely rural state in northern Germany, is lagging behind other German states in fiber optic expansion. This is despite high demand and available funding programs.
The chairman of the CDU state parliament fraction, Daniel Peters, has stated that the state is falling behind, citing structural and implementation challenges as the primary reasons. These challenges include a lower population density, more rural and dispersed settlements, and possibly slower infrastructure rollout compared to more urbanized regions.
In contrast to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, states with denser urban centers like Lower Saxony have seen faster progress in fiber deployment, with a significant jump in its expansion rate from 48 to 67.2% within a year. Other northern states such as Hamburg, Bremen, and Brandenburg also have higher fiber optic expansion rates.
The slow progress in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern may be due to logistical and economic hurdles that infrastructure providers face in scaling fiber networks quickly in rural areas. Funding programs, while substantial, may take time to translate into concrete expansion on the ground due to planning, administrative, and construction delays typical in telecommunication infrastructure projects in rural areas.
The CDU in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern demands a fiber optic strategy similar to Schleswig-Holstein, which has an expansion rate of 92.7% for fiber optic internet. The CDU believes that the state lacks necessary civil engineering capacities to implement fiber optic projects quickly.
Despite the slow progress, 60.9 percent of all apartments, businesses, and public institutions in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have access to fast internet via fiber optic cables. In terms of usage, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is in 5th place nationwide. However, only 35.2 percent of these have booked a fiber optic connection, according to a 2025 market analysis by the Federal Association of Broadband Communication (Breko).
Planning and approval procedures often take years in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, leading to delays in the rollout of fiber optic networks. Large sums are tied up in planning, tenders, and preliminary work without resulting in visible connections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
In conclusion, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is lagging behind other German states in fiber optic expansion due to structural and implementation challenges. The state's rural character, lower population density, and more dispersed settlements raise the per capita cost and complexity of laying fiber optic cables across wide, sparsely populated areas. This contrasts with states that have denser urban centers where fiber deployment is more cost-efficient and faster. The CDU in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has demanded a fiber optic strategy similar to Schleswig-Holstein to address these issues and accelerate the rollout of fiber optic networks in the state.
- EC countries could consider implementing policies that encourage technology investments in rural areas, such as Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, to ensure free movement of workers and freedom to provide services for telecommunication professionals, thereby promoting parity in digital infrastructure across regions.
- The slow progress in fiber optic expansion in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern can be mitigated with the integration of innovative technologies, like AI and machine learning, to streamline planning and approval procedures, thus reducing delays and fostering a more efficient rollout of networks.
