Karsten WildbergerTechnology · Energy · State
T.05 / INFRASTRUCTURE

Networks, compute and the money behind them

Most of the digital ministry's budget is infrastructure. This page sets out the documented figures for fibre, mobile and data centres.

Broadband 2026
€2.26 bn (special fund)
Data centres
> 6 GW target by 2030
Fibre access
Every second household (Jun 2026)
Budget 2026 · Einzelplan 24

Where the digital budget goes

The 2026 budget was described by the ministry as the “first digital budget of the Federal Republic”: €4.47 bn in total, of which €1.36 bn core budget and €3.11 bn from the special fund for infrastructure and climate neutrality.

Special fund (€3.11 bn)

  • Broadband2,255
  • Citizen account / infrastructure256
  • Mobile200
  • Register modernisation194
  • EUDI wallet ecosystem162

Core budget (€1.36 bn)

  • Federal IT infrastructure956
  • Digital policy / connectivity222
  • Ministry89
  • State modernisation63

Source: BMDS press release on the 2026 budget, 14 November 2025. Values in million euros, rounded.

Compute

National Data Centre Strategy

Adopted by cabinet in March 2026 — Germany's first such strategy.

≈ 3GW
Data-centre capacity at more than 2,000 sites at the time of adoption
BMDS
> 6GW
Target capacity by 2030 — at least a doubling
BMDS
×4
Minimum increase in AI compute targeted
BMDS
25/ 28
Measures started at the half-year review, 18 Sep 2026 (4 completed)
BMDS

“Computing power is the new raw material, and data centres are the refineries.”

Bundestag speech on the National Data Centre Strategy, April 2026 · BMDS transcript, translated
Networks

Fibre and mobile: the record

Official milestones. The legislative status of some measures is noted where it could not be verified.

Network infrastructure milestones
DateMeasureDetailStatus
May 2025First nationwide mobile measurement week26 May – 1 June 2025Completed
28 May 2025Telecommunications Act amendment (draft)Fibre and mobile rollout as an “overriding public interest” until 2030Cabinet draft; final passage not verified here
Oct 2025Mobile “white spots” overviewInfrastructure expansion declared a top priority (“Chefsache”)Published
Jan 2026Gigabit funding 2.0€1.8 bn approved for new projectsApproved
Mar 2026TKG amendment act 2026Consultations startedIn progress
Apr 2026Fibre funding callMore than €1 bnLaunched
Jun 2026Fibre availabilityMinistry: every second household has access to a fibre connectionReported
Sep 2026Gigabit gap-closing programme85 applicationsReported

Analysis
The infrastructure focus connects directly to his career: he spent thirteen years in mobile telecoms, and energy networks were part of E.ON's core business during his board tenure. Energy transition context →

Sources
  1. BMDS, 2026 budget: bmds.bund.de
  2. BMDS, data centre strategy speech: bmds.bund.de
  3. BMDS, TKG draft, 28 May 2025: bmds.bund.de
  4. BMDS press releases (network expansion, 2025–2026): bmds.bund.de