The Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has introduced a set of guidelines outlining how fiber optic providers should charge competitors for network access in the future. These benchmarks, referred to as “guiding principles” for open-access service fees, were released on Tuesday.
The main objective is to promote competition within the fiber network sector and allow consumers the choice between various service providers and products. Klaus Müller, President of the Federal Network Agency, explained on Tuesday that these guiding principles are intended to simplify negotiations between companies and speed up the process of determining appropriate fees. This approach aims both to secure competitive interests and facilitate necessary investments.
These “guiding principles” offer a practical framework for determining the fees that a service provider must pay another company for using its fiber optic network. The core idea is that the wholesale price should be calculated using a reasonable deduction from the end-customer price of the building company. Crucially, the margin between the end-customer price and the wholesale service fee must be substantial enough to allow a service provider to offer a comparable service in a cost-effective manner. The Federal Network Agency conducted an assessment using current consumer pricing and agreed-upon wholesale rates to calculate these necessary margins.
Many companies in Germany, often with regional roots, are currently building out fiber networks, which leads to high transaction and negotiation costs. By providing these guidelines, the Federal Network Agency is building upon its Regulatory Concept for Fiber-to-Copper Migration, which was published in January 2026. All stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on the “guiding principles” until November 16, 2026.
