End of copper: migration policy to fiber optics faces major challenge

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The migration from copper to fiber optic networks is keeping the industry very busy. When can and should copper lines be switched off when fiber optics are available nationwide? Time is of the essence if a regulated phase-out of copper networks is to take place. Learnings have now been discussed at the Federal Network Agency's Gigabit Forum – and Federal Network Agency President Klaus Müller has announced his intention to create planning certainty at an early stage.

"Together with the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs, we will develop a concept for the so-called copper-glass migration," says BNetzA President Klaus Müller. This is now to be developed. The regulatory authority did not specify when it will be available. At the same time, further decisions by the Bonn-based authority should also clarify how the "regulatory framework for fiber optics" should be structured in 2025. So far, a fierce power struggle has been raging between Telekom, its joint ventures, municipal utilities and other competitors for customers, expansion kilometers and municipalities. The competition fears that Telekom could exploit the copper network shutdowns to its strategic advantage and is calling for clear framework conditions for this process, i.e. what Federal Network Agency boss Müller announced today.

However, this plan could involve much more than just regulations for Telekom. An evaluation report by the federal Scientific Institute for Infrastructure and Communication Services (Institut für Infrastruktur und Kommunikationsdienste, WIK) formulates recommendations. It would "make sense to achieve a high rate of voluntary migration before copper networks are switched off", as this would significantly reduce complexity. Not only Homes Passed, i.e. fiber optic cables in the street – but at least Homes Connected, i.e. connections of units to the network, should be the reference value when it comes to a copper switch-off. Homes Activated, i.e. actual customer connections to fiber optics, would be even better.

WIK proposes changes to the TKG

A mandatory prerequisite for switching off copper networks is that there are defined wholesale products for fiber optics. While Telekom has to charge the competition on the copper network, this is not necessarily the case for fiber optics, at least not yet. According to WIK, standard products for bitstream access should be provided here.

WIK also proposes changes to the Telecommunications Act. Because today, the expansion often ends in the basement instead of with the residents. According to WIK, this is also due to legal requirements: So far, there has only been a right to lay fibre optics in the house if "there is a customer order with a bandwidth that can only be realized via FTTH." In other words: above 250 megabits per second – of the current VDSL upper limit. "The current legal situation requires the consent of the owners and thus their full willingness to cooperate," summarizes WIK from the pilot projects. It then goes on to state: "However, this cannot be assumed for professional housing companies", as the project in Wiesbaden shows. It recommends that the "housing sting" should be tolerated by owners, even if not all units have signed contracts. Sending construction teams out several times is simply too expensive.

Challenging shutdowns through communication

Once copper networks are due to be shut down, companies face further challenges. "For mass migration, it must be clarified which area demarcation is selected for which shutdown unit," the report states. Locations, area codes, multi-service access nodes or other technically meaningful entities would not automatically match the "communicative requirements". What is meant is the difference between, for example, whether the local area code 069, largely identical to Frankfurt, is to be switched off – or just a cable branch in Bad Berleburg in the Siegerland region with 23 districts and seven local area codes. There are many scenarios between a mass campaign and a targeted approach. And because area codes and MSAN areas do not have to correspond to local authorities, this must also be considered. After all, current and potential customers must be informed about planned shutdowns at an early stage.

Safe runway – also for Telekom?

The relevant associations welcome the plans: "It's about a safe runway", says VATM Managing Director Frederic Ufer, which must be created in advance with the copper migration plan. "Of decisive importance for the success of such a concept is a non-discriminatory DSL switch-off, including in the areas that Telekom's competitors have supplied with fiber optic networks," says the German Broadband Association (Breko). Both VATM and Breko had already submitted their own migration path proposals.

(olb)