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

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

Uckermark, Deutschland - On July 8, 2025, the Uckermark can celebrate an important milestone in the area of digital infrastructure: the extensive broadband expansion in the district has now been 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 will have to be tackled in the coming months.

Although the promised fiber optic connections are a forward -looking solution into the house, there are some difficulties in the cabling within the buildings. Mayor Peter Gerhardt von Uckerfelde reports that the costs for the cabling of two apartment blocks with a total of 24 apartments can be up to 20,000 euros. These additional expenses are unforeseen and not planned in the municipal budget. Stadtwerke Schwedt confirm that the funding program only includes fiber optic expansion up to the house connection - the internal cabling is therefore not part of the conveyed network. This mainly affects apartment buildings, while single -family houses can be connected to the network comparatively easily.

Financial challenge for the municipalities

Mayor Gerhardt criticizes the financial burden caused by these needs for the municipalities. A system that benefits from private sector provides the municipalities in front of a dilemma: on the one hand, there are the demands of the tenants to a connection, on the other hand, the financial means of the municipalities are limited. There are currently no funding for cabling within buildings, which also makes the situation more difficult. Stadtwerke in Schwedt offer paid support for the internal cabling, but this remains a high hurdle for many.

A positive development is emerging: The municipality of Hohengüstow plans to provide funds for the necessary cabling in 2026. Mayor Gerhardt is aware that the completion of the network is not the end of the problems. The last step, the cabling within the residential building, 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 is 106 million euros. The municipal share is over 5 million euros. In numbers, this means that 11,465 households, 83 companies, 55 schools and 41 other institutions could be connected to the network.

• Total financing: 176,725,096.00 €
• Federal funding: 106.035.057.00 €
• State funding: 65.268,518.00 €
• Communal share: 5,421,521.00 €

The construction work that started in 2020 aims to strengthen the digital infrastructure in rural areas and to increase competitiveness in the region. The district of Uckermark is not only the largest in Brandenburg in terms of area, but also has 72 nature reserves to offer, which must be observed when working.

As part of the federal strategy, a nationwide supply of gigabit networks based on fiber optic base in Germany is planned by 2030. This objective is particularly important for rural regions that often have to deal with higher investment costs and longer expansion times, as well as [bmel.de] (https://www.bmel.de/de/themen/laendliche-regions/digitales/breitband-und--und-Bobilfunk Bunde.html) emphasized.

The challenges are enormous, but the Uckermark shows that with clever planning and cooperation between the federal government, the states and municipalities, one can encounter the challenges of digital change. The first step was taken in the Uckermark, but the next steps are just as crucial to really close the digital gap and enable all citizens access to modern technology.