‘Berlin with its every fiber’: Vattenfall Eurofiber gives the go-ahead for fiber optic expansion in Berlin

Vattenfall Eurofiber is making Berlin fit for the digital future. The goal is to connect more than 500,000 households and businesses to the high-performance fiber-optic network by the end of 2026, which will be available to all Internet providers on a non-discriminatory basis via open access. Modern optical fibers are faster, more secure and more energy-efficient than existing coaxial or copper cables - and meet all the requirements of a modern digital infrastructure in the long term.

Vattenfall Eurofiber is using state-of-the-art technology to lay the fiber largely over existing district heating duct capacity - resulting in significantly less civil engineering work. The joint venture uses the existing infrastructure to keep burdens as low as possible.

The network will also be a digital infrastructure for 5G and IoT connectivity, paving the way for the capital's rapid development into a smart city.

from left to right:

Jan Timmermann, Vice President Strategy & Business Development von Vattenfall Wärme Berlin AG, Marco Sick, CEO von Vattenfall Eurofiber, Alf Aleithe, Geschäftsführer der berlinovo. Eric Kuisch, COO von Eurofiber

Marco Sick, CEO of Vattenfall Eurofiber: "We define it as our mission to connect to the future, and we do so with every fiber in our being. This promise we make to Berlin and the people in the city also describes what we do and the idea behind our work: We utilize our infrastructure and experience to lay a fiber-optic network in Berlin. We generate our added value by marketing our network on a non-discriminatory basis. In this way, we create an infrastructure for the future of a smart Berlin that is open to all. That is our message: ‘Mit jeder Faser Berlin”, Berlin with its every fiber.’

Jan Timmermann, Vice President Strategy & Business Development von Vattenfall Wärme Berlin AG: "At Vattenfall Wärme, we aim to offer our customers who purchase heating an environmentally friendly, low-CO2 and at the same time secure heat supply. However, beyond our core business, we also want to offer Berliners more, such as access to a high-performance fiber optic network. We are delighted to have found the perfect partner for the joint venture in Eurofiber. By using existing municipal infrastructure, we can lay fiber more quickly and minimize the impact of additional construction measures on the citizens of Berlin. But in order for us to push ahead with the rollout of a high-performance fiber-optic network in the area, we also need simplified and digitized approval processes."

Eric Kuisch, COO of Eurofiber: "Digital connectivity is vital for business and society. The high-quality open fiber network we will realize with Vattenfall will help thousands of businesses and organizations and hundreds of thousands of households in Berlin to prepare for the future. We are proud to bring our expertise as an enabler of the smart society to this great project and look forward to working together. We are very proud of the joint Vattenfall Eurofiber project in Berlin."

Alf Aleithe, Managing Director of berlinovo: "Fast and stable Internet is essential for all tenants to participate in work, study, school, and so on. These days, it determines the attractiveness of a property for tenants. With the fiber optic connection, berlinovo is making its properties fit for the digital future."

 

About Vattenfall Eurofiber
Vattenfall Eurofiber GmbH is the joint venture for the expansion of a high-performance fiber optic network in Berlin. More than 500,000 homes and businesses will have access to FTTB/ FTTH fiber connections by the end of 2026. The new fiber-optic network offers a faster and superior connection compared with existing infrastructures and is available to all Internet providers on a non-discriminatory basis via open access.

About Vattenfall Heat
As the largest heating company in the Swedish Vattenfall Group, Vattenfall Wärme aims to enable Berlin to achieve a fossil-free energy supply within a generation. To this end, the company is driving forward the heat transition in the German capital together with the State of Berlin and local partners. In doing so, Vattenfall Wärme Berlin is relying on individual supply concepts in the neighborhoods, smartly controlled heating systems and 100 percent local generation with a growing share of renewable energies. 

About Eurofiber
Eurofiber has been developing, maintaining and expanding its industry-leading, open access digital infrastructure for 20 years. With its fiber optic network and datacenters, Eurofiber is able to provide enterprises, organizations and governments in The Netherlands, Belgium and France with smart, open, future-proof cloud and connectivity solutions. Customers have complete freedom to choose the services, applications and providers they need. Eurofiber’s strategy is aimed at further expanding within Europe and broadening its portfolio. Urban Fiber-to-the-Home (FttH) deployments are a central feature of this expansion strategy, with Eurofiber expecting to execute further FttH projects with a wholesale and open access approach.