Press Release

Tele Columbus expands internet backbone

New optical fibre rings connect key network locations in four German states

- Approx. 1,400 kilometres of optical fibre connects additional network locations

- Rapid response for capacity adjustments

- Technological groundwork for further FTTH expansion

Berlin, 22 December 2021. Tele Columbus AG has commissioned two additional optical fibre rings to connect key network locations across four German federal states and a distance of approximately 1,400 kilometres. The new rings will provide some 48,000 households, the majority of which in Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia, an easily scalable connection to the Tele Columbus Group internet backbone. The system lowers the number of decentralised subnetworks while increasing quality of service through faster speeds, scalability and supply reliability.

The new Thuringian ring extends across a total of 760 kilometres; it starts in Erfurt and is routed through Arnstadt, Jena, Stadtroda, Saalfeld, Bad Salzungen, Eisenach, Waltershausen and Gotha. The network locations in Heiligenstadt and across the state border towards Sangerhausen and Eisleben are connected to the new optical fibre ring through an existing branch in Halle an der Saale.

In Saxony and Brandenburg, the new 610 kilometres optical fibre ring runs through Weißwasser, Niesky, Löbau and Bautzen, Dresden, Großenhain and Riesa all the way to Finsterwalde, Lübben, Lübbenau and Cottbus. Niesky and Finsterwalde are also connected with one another through a branch via Hoyerswerda and Senftenberg.

Thanks to their redundancy, the new optical fibre rings guarantee the highest level of signal availability. The central connection is also equipped to handle further demand development and increased bandwidths moving forward. We are seeing a clear trend towards higher speeds: two-thirds of new PŸUR customers are already booking internet plans with data rates of 200 Mbit/s or more.

In addition, the easily scalable connection to the internet backbone also opens up new opportunities for a redundant, centralised TV signal feed. For example, channel changes that are implemented at a small number of major headends can now be applied to significantly more subnetworks. Locations on the rings can also benefit sooner from the addition of new channels.

"The commissioning of two additional optical fibre rings allows for an even simpler and faster response to the increasing requirements of our network," explains Dietmar Pöltl, Chief Technology Officer of Tele Columbus. "In addition, we are considerably more flexible with regard to the technological infrastructure and maintenance costs. The completion of this project takes the total number of optical fibre rings to five - with more in the pipeline, too. By shoring up our network for the future, we are laying the necessary groundwork to achieve the ambitious targets of our Fiber Champion strategy."

In the regions where the new optical fibre rings are located, the Tele Columbus Group operates a large number of modern cable networks, some of which already offer fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) connections. In most cases, this technology enables bandwidths of up to 400 Mbit/s. In the second phase of the Tele Columbus Group's multi-phase upgrade concept, optical fibre networks will be extended to offer customers fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) connections, which will make simultaneous gigabit-level upload and download speeds a reality.

Additional speeds are already available in certain optical fibre ring regions as a result of the Tele Columbus Group's nationwide DOCSIS 3.1 roll-out. The addition of new transmission frequencies allows for the existing network's transmission capacities to be more than doubled and enables speeds of up to one gigabit per second.

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 200 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.

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