The Federal Association for Broadband Communication (BREKO) has already published a Concept paper for copper-glass fiber migration. It explains that § 34 Telecommunications Act (TKG) regulates the process for partial shutdowns of the copper network by the market-dominant company.
Only when the Federal Network Agency revokes the existing access obligations with regard to the local copper networks for which Telekom has applied for shutdown can Telekom terminate the corresponding access agreements and switch off the copper network in these areas.
The starting point of the procedure is therefore always a corresponding application from Telekom, which relates to a specifically described area (e.g. cable distribution catchment area). Experts expect that Telekom may submit an application this year, but at the latest 2025 submits the first applications. It will take one year for approval of a regional shutdown to be granted. First DSL shutdowns could therefore take place as early as 2025 or 2026.
In order to avoid distortion of competition in the field of fiber optics, according to BREKO, the Federal Network Agency should only approve the shutdown of the copper network in regions where Telekom itself has laid fiber optics if the copper network is also switched off in areas that are comparably well supplied with fiber optics by competitors.
