EU Gigabit Infrastructure Regulation
The EU Gigabit Infrastructure Regulation (EU 2024/1309) will enter into force on 12 February 2026.
What was previously considered "best practice" or voluntary future planning will now become binding across Europe – especially for new buildings and extensive renovations.
The focus is not only on network expansion up to the building, but now also on the building's internal infrastructure. This is precisely where it will be decided whether gigabit connections can be implemented efficiently, economically, and in a future-proof manner.
1. What does the EU Gigabit Infrastructure Regulation regulate?
With the Gigabit Infrastructure Regulation, the EU aims to accelerate and make more economical the expansion of very high capacity (VHC) networks. Unlike previous directives, this is an EU regulation that applies directly and does not require national implementation.
A key focus is on:
– the reuse of existing infrastructure
– simplified approval processes
– and especially on fiber-optic-capable in-building networks
2. New construction & renovation:
What will become mandatory from February 2026?
From the deadline date onwards, the following must be met:
– all new buildings
– as well as buildings undergoing extensive renovations
Impulse and Discussion
– fiber-optic-capable in-building physical infrastructures
– in-building fiber optic cabling up to the network termination point
– and in the case of apartment buildings, additionally with an access point
be equipped – provided it is technically feasible and economically proportionate.
This puts in-house planning in a new, binding role.
3. Where current practice is already reaching its limits
Many projects today demonstrate:
Buildings are constructed or renovated without consistently considering future network usage.
Planning, construction, and network operation are decoupled in terms of time and organization.
– Building networks are often viewed purely technologically (e.g., "fiber optic only" or "coax only").
The regulation exacerbates these challenges – because retrofitting is expensive, while forward-looking planning incurs comparatively low additional costs.
4. Future-proof building networks emerge from interaction.
Fiber optics is clearly defined as the target.
At the same time, experience shows that future-proof building networks are not created through an either-or approach, but through a coordinated interplay of:
– Fiber optic and coaxial cables
– clearly defined handover points
– clear responsibilities between the client, network operator and building owner
This is precisely where it is decided whether the requirements of the regulation are not only met, but also implemented in an economically sensible way.
Conclusion & outlook
The EU Gigabit Infrastructure Regulation is no longer a future issue – it will become binding in a few weeks.
Anyone planning, building or renovating today should already take the requirements into account.
In further articles we will examine:
– specific requirements for in-building infrastructure
– typical mistakes from practice
– and what really matters in planning and implementation
