Broadband Expansion: Broadband Development in Rural Areas

For fast internet in the rural region of the Höxter district
with 22,200 household connections, sewikom took an intelligent approach to meet the demanding federal requirements. With the trenchless installation of the ege-com® Microduct Multi protec, sewikom found a fast, cost-efficient, and sustainable solution.

The federal government’s goal was to provide all households with a broadband connection of 50 megabits per second by 2018. This goal will probably no longer be achievable, and it is primarily the rural regions that are falling behind. Therefore, it is essential to utilize new and existing technologies, such as trenchless installation methods and modern pipe systems, to drive expansion in an economically efficient and sustainable manner. Economical Solution Broadband expansion in the Höxter district, due to its rural nature, involves a high investment. To implement a project of this magnitude with over 22,200 household connections, federal funding was necessary. Since the allocation of funding depends, among other things, on the efficiency of resource deployment, the average cost per household connection, and sustainability, the use of trenchless installation techniques was an important criterion. This helped counteract cost drivers such as long cable routes with a small number of buildings. Sustainability through trenchless installation For the significant portion of trenchless installation, Dipl.-Ing. Kai-Timo Wilke, Managing Director of sewikom, sought a suitable pipe system for all trenchless installation techniques (plowing, milling, and horizontal directional drilling) for standard soils as well as rocky ground. The ege-com® Microduct protec, with its double jacket, offers mechanical protection for the high demands of trenchless installation. The abrasion-resistant outer layer provides additional protection against notches and grooves that can occur during installation using HDD and plowing methods. Furthermore, point loads caused by stones in the ground are distributed across the pipe. With the concept of trenchless installation of a robust pipe system, sewikom was awarded the contracts for the project. Dipl.-Ing. Kai-Timo Wilke expressed his satisfaction: “The product properties and delivery capability convinced me! The targeted high installation performance could be realized as planned.”