Prague reveals design plans for the Vltava Philharmonic Hall
The Danish studio Bjarke Ingels Group won the international architectural competition
The Gigabit Strategy will democratise internet access in Germany
The Berlin Senate approved a piece of legislation on 15 June 2021 that will greatly expand the fibre optic coverage in the city. Deputy Governing Mayor and Senator for Economics, Energy and Business, Ramona Pop submitted the proposal whose goal is to give every Berliner a fibre optic connection. The city will help coordinate the efforts in the long-term, working to expand the existing 5G coverage.
The Gigabit Strategy builds upon the Berlin Broadband Portal that started working back in November 2019. The Broadband Portal had a very simple and effective concept – it allowed citizens and companies to report gaps in internet coverage and connect the supply with the demand.
Because the state of Berlin cannot intervene directly in broadband expansion, it happily provides a mediation tool between the consumer and the expanding telecommunication companies.
All relevant players participated during the planning phase of the strategy: Senate departments, the telecommunications industry as well as the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Handwerkskammer Berlin (The Chamber of Crafts), and the Association of Business Associations in Berlin and Brandenburg (UVB) as representatives of the local consumers.
In a press release for the City of Berlin, Senator Ramona Pop stated: “With this high-speed internet strategy, the State of Berlin is setting clear goals for the first time in the expansion of wired connections and telecommunications, because Berliners need fast Internet in all districts - in the inner city as well as in the outskirts. The core of our strategy is to combine private-sector investments with public monitoring."
This statement echoed one made earlier this year by the Bundestag reaffirming the goals of the digital expansion. According to the statement made in mid-2020, about 93% of households had accesses to the internet at about 50 Mbit/s. However, the urban-rural divide, when it comes to the availability of the internet, is very apparent, carrying with it a notable lack of fibre optic connections.
The new high-speed internet strategy for Berlin signals a nationwide push for Germany, as the country is trying to set itself up to be a leader in the 5G market.
If you want to keep up with how European cities and regions are changing, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The REPowerEU 200 billion-euro plan calls for a gradual reduction of Russian fuel imports
The summer ticket will be valid on local and regional trains, buses, as well as on the U-Bahn and S-Bahn
The Danish studio Bjarke Ingels Group won the international architectural competition
The city also added a new bathing area
The new Walking and Cycling Index shows that an overwhelming majority want to live in 20-minute neighbourhoods
Explore the underbelly of the city’s most iconic site in the moonlit hours
The REPowerEU 200 billion-euro plan calls for a gradual reduction of Russian fuel imports
Close engagement initiatives with the business sector and residents were key to spreading the idea across the board
The new Walking and Cycling Index shows that an overwhelming majority want to live in 20-minute neighbourhoods
The city also added a new bathing area
The installation of the sensors is part of its “Smart Museum” project
Authorities want to do away with the passive status of nature in the city
These will be spread across 11 EU countries and will serve to support the EU Missions
The European Commission has accepted to develop the idea
An interview about AYR, one of the 2021 New European Bauhaus Prize winners
An interview with Nigel Jollands and Sue Goeransson from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
An interview with the President of the City of Athens Reception & Solidarity Centre
A talk with the Mayor of Malmö on the occasion of the city’s UN Resilience Hub status