Press Release: State aid: Commission approves €141 million aid scheme to increase broadband availability in rural Germany

The European Commission approved under the EC Treaty state aid rules a €141 million scheme to help bring broadband to rural areas of Germany that currently do not have access. The scheme is aimed at closing the gap in access to affordable broadband services between rural and urban areas. The Commission found that the scheme provides the right incentives to achieve its objectives and that the competition between broadband service providers will be further strengthened.