Telekom Expands Fiber Access in Eastern Germany as Steam Deck Prices Surge

Knapp also highlighted the technical framework, stating, "Unlike the fiber lease model previously favored by Telekom, bitstream access enables a more balanced distribution of value creation and investment risk between network operator and service provider."

Telekom now holds a total of 25 bitstream contracts, according to Thilo Höllen, the company's cooperation chief. The firm says it cooperates with more than 50 companies nationwide on fiber expansion.

Frederic Ufer, managing director of the VATM industry association, welcomed the agreement but criticized Telekom's broader stance. "The latest market study has unfortunately once again made it clear that the market-dominant company still refuses open access – sometimes with flimsy justifications," he said.

Ufer urged Telekom to market its tariffs nationwide over competitors' active fiber networks instead of pursuing "economically senseless duplicate construction." He noted, "The competitors are ready for it."

Steam Deck Price Increase and Tech Briefs

In separate technology news, Valve has raised prices for the Steam Deck OLED. The 512 GB model now costs 780 euros, up from 570 euros, while the 1 TB version has jumped to 920 euros from 680 euros.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, meanwhile, has called Taiwan the "epicenter of the AI revolution" and announced plans to invest 150 billion US dollars annually in the region. A new headquarters, set to begin construction this year and finish by 2030, will accommodate four times as many employees as the current facility.

In other developments, CD Projekt Red has announced a third expansion for "The Witcher 3." Titled "Songs of the Past," it is being developed with Fool's Theory and is scheduled for release in 2027.

Battery-electric cars are gaining ground in the EU, reaching a 19.7 percent market share by April 2026, while the combined share of petrol and diesel vehicles has fallen to 30 percent.

Security, Policy, and Industry Updates

A high-risk vulnerability has been discovered in the popular compression tool 7-Zip, allowing malicious code injection. An update is available to patch the flaw.

Nvidia is retiring its GeForce Control Panel after 20 years with driver version 610.47, migrating all key functions to the Nvidia App.

The German cabinet has approved a regulation requiring streaming services to reflect "German cultural character," while Siemens plans to cut many "Chief" titles and close its software subsidiary evosoft in Nuremberg.

A long-term LNG deal will see one million tonnes of liquefied natural gas shipped annually from Canada to Germany for 20 years starting in the early 2030s, though this represents only about 1.5 percent of Germany's 2025 annual consumption.