Hamburg Leads in Fiber Optic, But a Digital Divide Persists
Hamburg stands as a frontrunner in Germany’s fiber optic expansion, with an impressive 80% of private households having access to high-speed internet lines. This figure places the city just behind Bremen (86%) in nationwide rankings, according to data from the Federal Network Agency’s “Broadband Atlas” analyzed by NDR Data. However, a closer look reveals a stark contrast in connectivity across different parts of the city, with southern and rural districts significantly lagging behind.
Unequal Access: North Thrives, South Struggles
While the Hamburg-Nord district boasts an impressive 92% fiber optic coverage, meaning approximately 9 out of 10 households can access fiber optic internet, the southern districts are considerably behind. Harburg district registers a 70% expansion rate, and Bergedorf trails at the bottom with just 68% coverage. This disparity highlights a growing digital divide within the city.
The so-called “Walddörfer” in the northeastern part of the city are also experiencing similar connectivity issues. This raises the question: why are Hamburg’s more rural districts, including Bergedorf, Harburg, and the Walddörfer, being left behind in the crucial race for high-speed internet?
Cost and Population Density: Key Barriers to Rural Expansion
Fabian Gerken from the city’s fiber optic expansion coordination office attributes this imbalance to population density. Telecommunications companies find it more profitable to invest in densely populated urban centers. “If we have single-family homes in rural areas, there are fewer households, and it becomes more difficult to cover the costs,” Gerken explains.
Legally, the state can only intervene and provide funding if companies completely fail to advance the expansion. Given Hamburg’s overall positive expansion figures, this condition is currently not met, even though provider Deutsche Glasfaser recently canceled further expansion plans in Bergedorf, among other areas. Gerken remains optimistic, stating, “Once the other areas are completed, it should also move further into the outer districts.”
FDP Criticizes Slow Pace and Bureaucratic Hurdles
The sluggish expansion in the city’s periphery is already having consequences, warns the FDP. “If fast internet doesn’t reach people and businesses, people have to commute to fast internet,” says Dirk Kannengießer, the FDP parliamentary group leader in Harburg. He argues that this leads to increased traffic and weakens the attractiveness of these locations.
The FDP urges the city to at least remove bureaucratic obstacles if it cannot directly intervene. They criticize issues such as streets being opened multiple times, construction phases not being sufficiently bundled, and permits being issued too slowly.
The Senate aims for a city-wide fiber optic network in Hamburg by 2030. However, Fabian Gerken counters the criticism, stating that permit approvals now take only a few weeks. His coordination office discusses expansion projects with fiber optic providers and relevant authorities. “Imagine if we didn’t talk to the police, to the fire department – then we would, of course, also have problems,” Gerken notes.
Improvements on the Horizon: Collaboration and Infrastructure
Recently, fiber optic providers gained access to the city’s construction site tool, which is expected to simplify collaboration between providers and help avoid duplicate construction sites. Additionally, the city plans to lay empty conduits more frequently during municipal construction projects, making it easier to install fiber optic cables in the future. Gerken acknowledges that there is still room for further improvement.
Despite the challenges, Hamburg’s southern districts are slowly catching up in fiber optic internet provision. The current situation serves as a reminder that significant work remains to be done. The Senate’s goal is to achieve comprehensive fiber optic coverage across Hamburg by the end of the decade.
Data Behind the Figures
The statistical data is sourced from the Federal Network Agency’s “Broadband Atlas” (as of December 2025). The atlas is based on address-specific information provided by internet service providers, who have been required to report their coverage data to the authority since 2021. It is important to note that the statistics only provide information on the availability of fiber optic, not the actual number of customers.
Source: NDR.de
