The expansion of the fiber optic network is important for digitization, but also very expensive. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania fears for further progress and is making a clear request to the federal government.
Schwerin (dpa / mv) - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Minister of the Interior Christian level (SPD) calls on the federal government to continue funding broadband expansion. Together with other federal states as well as the German Association of Cities and Towns, the German Association of Districts and the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is calling for the application freeze for the current year to be lifted, the minister responsible for digitization announced on Sunday.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, 13 applications from four districts are affected, for which funding had already been requested from the federal government before the acceptance freeze. "We don't know how these applications will be handled." The ministry knows that all districts want to submit further applications at short notice. The federal government must present the funding guideline for 2023 as soon as possible or continue to apply the previous funding guideline beyond 2022.
According to the ministry, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has received 1.34 billion euros in federal funding since the start of the federal program to promote broadband expansion and co-financed it with 713 million euros. So far, almost 80,000 households, companies and institutions in all districts have been connected to the fiber optic network.
