More and more people are working from home, streaming high-resolution content or using cloud-based applications. Fast and, above all, reliable internet connections are therefore more important than ever. Fiber optic offers the best technology here. Fiber optics ensure stable speeds, especially in apartment buildings where many parties are online at the same time. It enables high download and upload speeds. The connection remains stable even when using multiple devices at the same time. At the same time, fiber optics is considered a particularly future-proof technology for growing digital requirements.
Not every fiber optic connection automatically reaches the apartment. In apartment buildings, the fiber optic can initially only end in the basement or house connection room. Only when the cables within the building are laid further into the apartments is a direct fiber optic connection available.
Many tenants therefore ask themselves:
- Can I apply for fiber optics myself?
- Who decides on the expansion?
- What rights do I have as a tenant?
- And how does the connection actually get into the apartment?
This guide explains which requirements must be met for a fiber optic connection in rental apartments and how tenants can actively support the expansion.
Fiber optic for tenants: requirements, options and rights
If a residential area is expanded with fiber optics, it depends on these parties whether rental apartments receive a connection:
- Owner or property manager
- and the tenants themselves.
It is usually not the tenant who decides whether a fiber optic connection is installed in the apartment. The most important thing is whether the owner or the property management agrees to the expansion and approves the actual fiber optic connection. Only once this approval has been received can the network operator supply the property with a fiber optic connection.
In larger apartment buildings, additional factors may play a role in the fiber optic decision:
- existing contracts, e.g. with cable providers,
- technical requirements,
- ownership associations,
- or planned renovations.
It therefore makes sense for tenants to talk to the property management company at an early stage and to express specific interest in a fiber optic connection.
Tenants can check whether fiber optic is available using the network operators’ expansion maps or availability checks. Deutsche Telekom offers this service at www.telekom.de/schneller to.
In this way, tenants can accelerate the expansion
Even in rental apartments, tenants have several options to advance fiber optic expansion.
What is particularly helpful is:
- Talk to the landlord
The first step is to speak to the landlord or property manager about fiber optics. Many owners may not yet know that as part of the fiber optic expansion, Telekom usually covers the costs for the house connection and the owners incur no costs as a result. - Mobilize more tenants
If multiple tenants in the home express interest in fiber optics, this increases pressure on the owner to take action. Joint requests and signature collections can help speed up the process. - Obtain and provide information
Tenants can help the owner by providing them with information. Telekom has already announced a fiber optic expansion in the region? Then it is helpful to pass on this information. Telekom also offers information events for homeowners’ associations.
Personal contact with the landlord or owner is always the better choice. There is also the option of simply booking a fiber optic tariff. For example, at Telekom, it’s easy to do at: www.telekom.de/glasfarben. Telekom then takes care of the agreement with the property owner – including where the fiber optic comes into the house and how it runs in the house.
This is how the fiber optic gets from the basement to the rental apartment
Existing empty pipes or risers can often be used to lay fiber optics in the house. Where this is not possible, minimally invasive installation techniques can now be used, such as adhesive techniques, which largely make drilling work unnecessary. In many cases, the installation of fiber optics into rental apartments is possible without major structural interventions. For tenants, this often means only minor restrictions due to structural measures.
The clear recommendation for tenants interested in fiber optics is therefore: initiate rather than wait. Tenants can do more than expected.
