A further 40 million euros in funding for broadband expansion
Handover of the funding cheque - photo opportunity: 31 March, 10 a.m., in the Technical Town Hall, Room A 122
The city of Chemnitz is receiving a further 40 million euros in funding from the Free State of Saxony for the fibre optic expansion of the broadband network in previously underserved areas of the city.
Representatives of the media are invited to a photo opportunity at the Technical City Hall, Room A 122, on Wednesday 31 March at 10 a.m. for the handover of the funding cheque by Ines Fröhlich, State Secretary at the Saxon Ministry of Economic Affairs and Labour, to Mayor Michael Stötzer.
The funding commitment comprises four decisions that will benefit the entire city area, including 13 school locations.
Ines Fröhlich, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Affairs: "An efficient broadband network is the indispensable basis for many digital developments being and becoming possible at all. Like data highways to the future, they ensure that companies are and remain competitive and that our cities and municipalities are places worth living in, in which all people in our society can participate."
Building Mayor Michael Stötzer: "A lot has already happened in recent years and more and more areas in the city have been connected to high-speed internet. Today, around 77 per cent of Chemnitz residents and businesses have high-speed wired internet access, i.e. at least 30 Mbit/s. With today's funding commitment, we can open up further underserved areas."
The expansion of the network with speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s is scheduled to begin in September 2022 and be completed by the end of 2024. A total of 3,300 house connections are planned, with a further 2,200 to be prepared for expansion.
The investment amounts to around 103 million euros. The federal government is providing 50 per cent of the funding and the Free State 40 per cent. The city of Chemnitz is covering the remaining ten per cent as its own contribution.
Tenders are currently being prepared for the realisation and planning is due to begin in the third quarter. This was preceded by a market exploration procedure in 2019, and the funding application for the expansion was submitted in autumn 2020.