- The regulator wants to allow copper decommissioning when fiber coverage reaches 80 percent and wholesale access conditions are met.
- Transition requirements, including advance notice and marketing withdrawal, aim to protect consumers, but industry stakeholders are skeptical about implementation and competition outcomes.
What happened: Germany outlines copper shutdown plans
Germany’s telecom regulator, the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), has published a draft regulatory framework setting out how the country could phase out its legacy copper telecommunications networks and transition fully to fiber infrastructure. The regulator presented the proposals publicly in January 2026. Under the plan, operators could shut down copper networks once fiber-to-the-home or fiber-to-the-building (FTTH/B) coverage reaches around 80 percent in a given area and suitable wholesale fiber products are available.
The draft framework requires providers to stop marketing copper-based services 24 months before decommissioning begins in any location. Operators must also issue a formal notification at least 12 months ahead of the final switch-off. The agency stresses that fiber availability, not the identity of the network builder, should determine shutdown decisions. It also prioritizes the presence of open-access wholesale fiber networks to ensure retail internet service providers can compete before copper lines are retired.
The Bundesnetzagentur has opened a consultation process and invited industry stakeholders and other interested parties to submit comments by 16 March 2026. This feedback will play a key role, as the proposals extend beyond the current legal framework. Existing legislation gives the incumbent operator, Deutsche Telekom, significant influence over copper shutdown decisions, limiting the regulator’s direct authority.
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Why it’s important: policy, competition and consumer implications
Germany has historically lagged many of its European peers in full fiber rollout, but recent progress has accelerated deployment. According to regulator data, around 60 percent of German households had FTTH/B pass-by coverage at the end of June 2025, up sharply from 6.7 million premises five years earlier.
This strategic shift reflects broader European infrastructure trends; fiber networks offer vastly higher speeds and future-proof capacity compared with copper, which supports slower DSL technologies. However, the regulator’s proposal raises several important questions that industry stakeholders and consumer groups are likely to scrutinize.
One such concern is competition. As noted by industry analysts, if a fiber network operator becomes the sole provider in an area after copper shutdown, there may be insufficient infrastructure-based competition, particularly in rural or less commercially attractive regions. How open access wholesale requirements will be defined and enforced remains a complex issue.
Another issue is timing and technology transition cost. While the draft rule of 80 percent coverage provides a benchmark, actual shutdowns are unlikely before 2030 and could take up to a decade to complete across different regions. Regulatory and legislative changes—potentially including amendments to Germany’s Telecommunications Act—may be needed to grant the Bundesnetzagentur authority to mandate shutdowns and ensure nondiscriminatory access for rival operators.
Environmental and consumer protections also come into play. Retiring copper infrastructure requires careful cross-sector planning, including safe recycling of materials and ensuring affordable alternatives for all users, including households and small businesses that rely on legacy DSL connections today.
In addition, this concept unfolds as the European Union considers its own timelines and flexibility on copper switch-offs, with reports suggesting the EU may allow member states to defer full copper shutdowns to as late as 2035 based on national conditions.
Ultimately, Germany’s draft outline reflects the growing recognition that legacy copper networks are technically limited in delivering future broadband capacities. But the real test lies not only in deployment pace but also in managing competition, regulatory authority, and consumer protection through this long-term infrastructure transition.
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