As of: February 21, 2024, 7:20 p.m
By: Katrin Hager
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A fiber optic connection is in sight here: Telekom is developing the future Birkerfeld II commercial area, which is being built on the green field next to the existing commercial area (left) and opposite Vivo, on its own.
In many other areas of Warngau, broadband expansion must first be boosted with tax money.
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The municipality of Warngau is changing its strategy for broadband expansion: instead of continuing to hope for funding from the federal government, it is now relying on the Free State.
Warngau
- The municipality of Warngau is changing its strategy for broadband expansion: True to the motto “It's better to have a sparrow in the hand than a pigeon on the roof,” the local council is applying for state rather than federal funding for the further development of previously poorly served areas districts.
The prospect of over 90 percent funding for the expansion of a gigabit network was tempting - and the demand from municipalities was correspondingly great: Warngau fell by the wayside in the race for a subsidy under the federal government's Gigabit Directive 2.0 in autumn 2023.
The community got 160 out of a possible 500 points - and was therefore left behind in the race for funding.
In the end, only municipalities that had received at least 235 points received notices, Mayor Klaus Thurnhuber (FWG) recently explained to the local council.
“We won’t get to the necessary points so quickly,” said the town hall boss soberly.
No luck at the federal level
So should the community wait for the next round of funding at the federal level and try its luck again?
Or would you rather change tactics and rely on the Bavarian funding program, which requires municipalities to contribute more and sets stricter criteria for the development areas?
The local council has now had consultant Josef Markl from the engineering firm IK-T discuss this.
The federal funding round of 450 million euros for gigabit expansion in Bavaria was three times oversubscribed, reported Markl.
The consultant explained that it would be possible to transfer the application to the next funding round in 2024.
“But we don’t know whether the catalog of criteria will change or whether we will fail again with 160 points,” says Markl.
“No one can tell us at the moment.”
Expansion for 500 instead of 1000 addresses
Warngau could, to a certain extent, get a better network across the board via a “secret route”: by switching to funding from the Free State.
“It doesn’t look that bad,” said Markl.
This means that half of the 1,079 addresses that would have been planned according to the federal program criteria could still be upgraded with broadband technology.
In any case, laying one's hands in one's lap is not an option: "Warngau has 81 municipal districts, many individual locations - I don't think that there will be any self-economic expansion across the board," said Markl - at least in the main towns.
If you can get a healthy mix, expansion would be manageable.
As Thurnhuber explained, Telekom has promised to connect the new Birkerfeld II industrial estate near Lochham to fiber optics at its own expense.
There is also a verbal assurance from Telekom that it will expand so-called supervectoring in the community, which can enable up to 250 Mbit on copper lines.
“But we don’t know when,” said Thurnhuber.
Thurnhuber hopes that if the other outdoor areas could be improved with the Bavarian funding program, the community as a whole would be in a good position.
Almost 3.5 million euros in funding
The engineering office identified 533 addresses - 442 so-called gray spots and 91 white spots - that would be eligible for funding from the Free State.
The broadband center has confirmed funding of 3.48 million euros for this.
With a 90 percent funding rate, the municipality could implement an expansion for around 3.8 million euros, with an own contribution of around 380,000 euros, Markl calculated.
This means that all areas with previously less than 100 Mbit/s would have the prospect of better coverage, including in the southern municipal area - apart from Wall, where supervectoring is to be used - in Reitham, the western Oberwarngau, Draxlham, parts of the existing Birkerfeld I industrial area and Lochham.
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Florian Rank (FWG) pointed out that at least one of the power plant operators on the Mangfall is dependent on a strong network for control.
The municipality wants to use its own lottery ticket to try to find a solution for important individual properties.
However, the consultant warned that too many lots and individual locations could deter bidders.
The local council does not want to ruin the chances of a comprehensive expansion.
The committee unanimously decided to withdraw the application for funding under the federal government's Gigabit Directive 2.0 and, as an alternative, to submit an application for funding from the Free State.