PRESS RELEASE

A new approach to fibre-optic network expansion

Direct optical fibre connection plus open access model for 5,000 residential units in Halle and Merseburg

Berlin/Halle, 19 August 2021. Bau- und Wohnungsgenossenschaft Halle-Merseburg e. G. is joining forces with Tele Columbus to forge new paths in bringing an expanded range of fibre-optic network services to its approximately 5,000 residential units. Between now and 2026, Tele Columbus will equip all of the cooperative housing association's properties with direct fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) connections that will also be available for other providers of telecommunication services to lease.

"High-resolution television, ultra-fast internet connections and reliable telephone services are far more than mere buzzwords of digitalisation," says Lutz Haake, spokesman for the management board of Bau- und Wohnungsgenossenschaft Halle-Merseburg (BWG). "Expanding the fibre-optic network is an absolute must in the long term, considering that every technology used today - be it DSL, VDSL or a hybrid - should merely be seen as an interim solution. For the housing industry, the challenge lies in finding a technical solution that enables competition between providers of telecommunication services while also being economically feasible. It isn't possible to tackle these challenges with concession agreements, which have dominated the developments to date."

As a result, Bau- und Wohnungsgenossenschaft Halle-Merseburg e. G. is working with Tele Columbus to set up an open access model for bringing an expanded range of fibre-optic network services to its approximately 5,000 residential units in Halle and Merseburg. On the basis of an agreement signed in May and recently approved by the cooperative housing association's members, the companies of Tele Columbus will equip network levels 3 and 4 at all of the co-op's properties with a fibre-optic network by 2026. The network will also be open to other providers of telecommunication services on a lease basis. Once the public corridors and the flats themselves have been equipped with the corresponding technology, members of the co-op will be free to choose whichever provider they want without the need for additional construction work to accommodate their wishes.

"Tele Columbus is a leader in flexible fibre-network expansion solutions and looks forward to rolling out this open access model in partnership with BWG," says Rüdiger Schmidt, Chief Sales Officer Housing Industry & Infrastructure at the Tele Columbus Group. "For tenants, it opens the door to greater selection going forward, all while enabling us as a network operator to achieve more economic utilisation of our high-performance fibre-optic infrastructure." The open access model, with the complete leasing of individual fibre-optic lines, is an additional pillar of Tele Columbus AG's flexible sales and marketing concept. In addition to its own television, telephony and high-speed internet services with up to 1 GBit/s under the brand name PŸUR, the company is busy rolling out an open model that allows Tele Columbus to continue overseeing the technical operation of the lines while enabling other providers to offer their own services.

About us

Tele Columbus AG is one of Germany's leading fibre network operators which reaches more than 3 million homes. Via its brand PŸUR, the Company, offers high-speed internet including telephony and more than 250 TV channels. All of this via a digital entertainment platform that combines linear TV with video on demand entertainment. To its housing association partners the Tele Columbus Group offers tailored models of cooperation and state-of-the-art services such as telemetric and tenant portals. As a full-service partner for municipalities and regional utilities, the Company is actively supporting the fibre-based infrastructure and broadband internet expansion in Germany. For its business customers the Group offers carrier services and corporate solutions on its proprietary fibre network. Besides its headquarter in Berlin, the Company has locations in Hamburg, Leipzig, Ratingen and Unterföhring/Munich. Since January 2015, Tele Columbus AG is listed on the regulated market (Prime Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock exchange.

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