Broadband expansion in the Uckermark: communities pay for the last mile!

Broadband expansion in the Uckermark: communities pay for the last mile!

On July 8, 2025, the Uckermark can celebrate an important milestone in the area of ​​digital infrastructure: the nationwide broadband expansion in the district is now officially completed. The district proudly announces that the former white spots in the broadband network have been successfully eliminated. However, there are some sticking points that need to be addressed in the coming months.

Although the promised fiber optic connections into the house represent a future-oriented solution, there are some difficulties with the cabling within the buildings. Mayor Peter Gerhardt of Uckerfelde reports that the costs for cabling two blocks of flats with a total of 24 apartments can be up to 20,000 euros. These additional expenses are unforeseen and not planned for in the municipal budget. Stadtwerke Schwedt confirms that the funding program only covers fiber optic expansion up to the house connection - the internal cabling is therefore not part of the funded network. This particularly affects multi-family homes, while single-family homes can be connected to the network comparatively easily.

Financial challenge for the communities

Mayor Gerhardt criticizes the financial burden that these needs place on municipalities. A system from which private sector providers benefit presents municipalities with a dilemma: on the one hand, there are tenants' demands for a connection, but on the other hand, the municipalities' financial resources are limited. There is currently no funding available for cabling within buildings, which further complicates the situation. Although the municipal utilities in Schwedt offer paid support for indoor cabling, this remains a high hurdle for many.

However, there are signs of a positive development: The municipality of Hohengüstow plans to provide funds for the necessary cabling work as early as 2026. Mayor Gerhardt is aware that the completion of the network is not the end of the problems. The final step, wiring within residential buildings, is often overlooked and represents an enormous challenge.

Look at the numbers

The broadband expansion in the Uckermark was supported by an extensive funding program. Overall, the financial resources amounted to around 176.7 million euros, with federal funding amounting to 106 million euros. The municipal contribution amounts to over 5 million euros. In figures, this means that 11,465 households, 83 companies, 55 schools and 41 other institutions were connected to the network.

• Gesamtfinanzierung: 176.725.096,00 €
• Bundesförderung: 106.035.057,00 €
• Landesförderung: 65.268.518,00 €
• Kommunaler Eigenanteil: 5.421.521,00 €

The construction measures, which were started in 2020, aim to strengthen the digital infrastructure in rural areas and increase competitiveness in the region. The Uckermark district is not only the largest in Brandenburg in terms of area, but also has 72 nature reserves that must be taken into account during the work.

As part of the federal strategy, nationwide coverage of fiber optic-based gigabit networks is planned in Germany by 2030. This objective is particularly important for rural regions, which often have to contend with higher investment costs and longer expansion times, as bmel.de emphasizes.

The challenges are enormous, but the Uckermark shows that the challenges of digital change can be met with clever planning and cooperation between the federal, state and local governments. The first step has been taken in the Uckermark, but the next steps are just as crucial to truly close the digital divide and give all citizens access to modern technology.