PRESS RELEASE

High-speed internet for an entire housing cooperative

Eisenbahner-Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft (EWG) and Tele Columbus to build comprehensive fibre-optic network for around 8,000 households

- New concession agreement between EWG and Tele Columbus

- Two-phase approach to FTTH coverage

- Gigabit-level upload and download speeds

Berlin/Dresden, 15 September 2021. Excavators were on-site today to officially kick off a project to incrementally bring high-speed internet to tenants of the Eisenbahner-Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft housing cooperative (EWG) in Dresden-Briesnitz. Thanks to an agreement between EWG and the fibre-optic network operator Tele Columbus, which markets its products through the PŸUR brand, residents will receive access to a future-proof fibre-optic connection. The project will benefit the entire housing cooperative, which leases out roughly 8,000 units in Gorbitz, Briesnitz and other Dresden neighbourhoods.

In future, stable streaming, video conferencing, working from home and home schooling will all be possible at the same time. The new contract also means lower TV bills for tenants from 2023 on.

EWG has long been working to obtain high-speed internet for all its members, leading it to announce a tender for the housing cooperative's multimedia services. The contract was awarded to Tele Columbus AG. EWG has worked with the provider for more than 20 years and has also partnered with the company to resolve customer service challenges.

"Fast internet means that our members will be well prepared for the advancing digitalisation of our everyday lives going forward," says Michael Reichel, chairman of the board at EWG Dresden eG. "The urgency became very clear during the lockdown, when every family member was looking to use the internet at the same time - for video conferences with colleagues, to attend school from home or to play video games in HD. Being able to do so at the same time without issue in the future will improve the quality of life in our neighbourhoods tremendously. To our knowledge, we are the first housing cooperative in Dresden to launch a project like this for every unit."

EWG and Tele Columbus signed a new concession agreement in July 2021 that calls for an upgrade to fibre-to-the-home infrastructure in two phases. In the first phase, the existing optical fibre network will be extended to buildings to achieve what is known as a "fibre-to-the-building" connection, increasing the available download bandwidths from 400 Mbit/s today to 1,000 Mbit/s by the end of 2022 and giving EWG's tenants access to gigabit internet services for the first time.

In the second phase, the individual units will be connected from 2023 on. The resulting fibre-to-the-home connection (FTTH) will make simultaneous gigabit-level upload and download speeds a reality. Until now, upload speeds have been significantly lower than download speeds, meaning that putting data onto the internet has taken longer than retrieving it. Symmetrical bandwidth will ensure that uploads and downloads take the same amount of time in the future.

"As a partner to the housing industry with a clear commitment to fibre-optic network expansion, we are delighted to have the opportunity to continue our proven partnership with EWG Dresden and would like to express our gratitude for the trust placed in us," says Rüdiger Schmidt, Chief Sales Officer Housing Industry & Infrastructure at the Tele Columbus Group. "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 FTTH connections across the board will pay off for tenants and landlords alike."

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 offices in Hamburg, Leipzig, Ratingen and Unterföhring/Munich. Since January 2015, Tele Columbus AG is a stock listed company.

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