- Campus networks to be upgraded with fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) connections
- Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) for all new building projects
- Open access model for greater provider choice and wider selection of products
Berlin, 17 February 2022. Gewobag Wohnungsbau-Aktiengesellschaft Berlin and Tele Columbus AG have announced the continuation of their successful partnership. As part of the public tender procedure for the provision of triple play services, Tele Columbus has been awarded the contract to supply a total of 48,000 Gewobag households with TV, internet and telephony through its PŸUR brand. The large-scale fibre-optic network upgrades will see Tele Columbus further expand its position as a leading fibre optic provider in Berlin.
Tele Columbus continues to drive the process of fibre-optic network expansion in Berlin and will be upgrading the Gewobag campus networks with fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) technology by the end of 2023. Additional existing connections spread around Berlin are also to be linked up to the Tele Columbus fibre-optic network as part of the same project.
Tele Columbus will be completely restructuring and upgrading the distribution networks, exchanging existing antenna and multimedia outlets and modifying and modernising distribution systems in building basements to handle fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) connections. All upcoming renovation work will also include the integration of direct fibre-optic connections right into tenants’ apartments.
What’s more, all of Gewobag’s new building projects will be linked up to the Tele Columbus network by way of future-proof FTTH architectures. Gewobag plans to increase its portfolio by adding 13,000 additional residential units over the next 10 years through new building projects and acquisitions.
By implementing these upgrades in existing buildings, Gewobag is opting for state-of-the-art network supply standards that, thanks to the gigabit capacity, can be easily adapted to the rising bandwidth demands of tenants. Systems such as these can achieve bandwidths far beyond one gigabit, depending on demand. Through Tele Columbus and its PŸUR brand, one million Berlin residents have been able to access the internet at speeds of up to 1,000 Mbit/s since 2019.
The current agreement between Gewobag and Tele Columbus features an open access model, which will allow other providers of telecommunications services to lease the fibre-optic networks. Once the upgrades are complete, residents will be able to utilise services from other providers – such as o2 (Telefónica Germany) – without the necessity for any building work in stairwells or apartments. Partnerships between Tele Columbus and other providers are also in the pipeline.
“We are happy to continue to have with PŸUR a competent, experienced and reliable partner by our side for our housing units. By expanding our cooperation we not only ensure the further network build-out with fibre but also that our tenants will benefit from access to state-of-the-art products and services”, states Peter Burgfried, Head of Portfolio Management at Gewobag.
“The expansion of the successful partnership with Gewobag is an important milestone in the implementation of our Fiber Champion strategy,” said Daniel Ritz, Chief Executive Officer of Tele Columbus AG. “We look forward to realising more fibre-optic upgrade projects in the housing industry.”
“As a partner to the housing industry with a clear commitment to fibre-optic network expansion, we would like to express our gratitude for the trust placed in us,” said Rüdiger Schmidt, Chief Sales Officer Housing Industry & Infrastructure at Tele Columbus. “The new agreement ensures that every resident in every apartment has access to high-performance TV and internet infrastructure. We’re confident that the decision to focus on expanding the fibre-optic network across the board will pay off for everyone involved.”
