Select your location for location specific information:
This form can be submitted electronically (e.g. via a secure contact form using your user account with login via the electronic ID function or the ELSTER certificate) or handwritten and signed in paper form to the responsible authority.
This form can be submitted electronically (e.g. via a secure contact form using your user account with login via the electronic ID function or the ELSTER certificate) or handwritten and signed in paper form to the responsible authority.
Connection to future-proof network infrastructures is a key location factor in municipalities. In rural areas, it is almost impossible to build a nationwide gigabit-capable infrastructure without funding due to the low profitability of expansion and operation. The Bavarian gigabit support program, the only one of its kind in Germany, provides targeted support to municipalities for the provision of gigabit-capable infrastructure in areas where there is no self-economic expansion.
Commercial connections in particular are to benefit from the new funding if they do not yet have a reliable network with bandwidths of at least 200 Mbit/s symmetrically (upload and download) either currently or as a result of their own expansion in the next three years. Private households can benefit if a reliable supply of at least 100 Mbit/s in download is not available or at least foreseeable.
Funding is provided for expenditure by the grant recipient to private or municipal network operators (economic viability gap model) or expenditure by the grant recipient for the construction of its own passive broadband infrastructure (operator model).
Grant recipients are municipalities, associations of municipalities and associations of municipalities in the Free State of Bavaria.
In the economic viability gap model, the eligible costs are the expenses for closing the economic viability gap and in the operator model the expenses for the construction of the passive infrastructure less the lease income.
The funding rate and the maximum funding amount per municipality are determined by the approval authority.
The municipalities receive maximum funding amounts of EUR 2,500 to EUR 6,000 per address in the "gray area" with a funding rate of 80% to 90%. Municipalities with low financial strength can benefit from a hardship provision.
The maximum funding amounts per municipality are between EUR 3 million and EUR 8 million.
Further information on the funding conditions can be found in a reference document published on the website of the Bavarian Broadband Center (see "Related links").
The federal government's gigabit program is another funding instrument available. In order to raise the low federal funding rates to the Bavarian level, the Free State of Bavaria provides funding for co-financing. The federal broadband program is usually more suitable for municipalities with existing supervectoring coverage. The Bavarian Broadband Center advises municipalities on the differences.
Areas of a municipality that are not yet supplied with a Next Generation Access Network (NGA network) (so-called "white spot") or are only supplied with an NGA network (so-called "gray spot") and fall below certain minimum bandwidths ("pick-up thresholds") are eligible as development areas.
Private connections in gray or white areas are eligible for funding if they are not yet supplied with at least 100 Mbit/s download speeds.
Commercial connections in gray or white areas are eligible if they are not yet supplied with at least 200 Mbit/s symmetrically (i.e. in download and upload) and are also not yet supplied with more than 500 Mbit/s in download.
There are further restrictions for municipalities with supervectoring coverage in the municipal area.
The granting authority may request further documents in order to check the eligibility of the planned project.
The funding procedure according to the Bavarian Gigabit Directive is clearly structured in 9 modules. Numerous sample documents and supplementary guidelines are available to support the municipalities (see "Further links").
1. inventory in the municipal area
2. market exploration with provisional development area
3. publication of the results of the market exploration
4. publication of announcement of selection procedure
4a. in the economic viability gap model:
4b. in the operator model:
5. publication of the result of the selection procedure
6. procedure with the district government
7. cooperation agreement or commissioning of construction
7a. in the economic viability gap model:
7b. in the operator model:
8. publication of the funding profile
9. publication of the final project description
Bavarian gigabit funding runs until the end of 2025. Applications for funding under the Bavarian Gigabit Directive (BayGibitR) can be submitted until September 30, 2025. Applications for funding under the Co-financing Gigabit Directive (KofGibitR) can be submitted until June 30, 2023.
The Free State of Bavaria grants subsidies for the installation of fiber optic connections and WLAN infrastructure for public schools, planned hospitals and town halls.