Official opening and start of production of Singlemode fibers in Jena for broadband expansion in Germany

The managing directors of j-fiber Hengtong GmbH, Dr. Ulrich Lossen and Qiang Wang, together with Valentina Kerst, Thuringia's State Secretary for Economic Affairs and the Digital Society, and numerous guests from politics and industry, have opened the new production facilities for the manufacturing of optical fibers for telecommunications and data networks.

With the ceremonial opening, the commissioning of the new production facility started according to plan. The installation of the new, 30 meters high drawing towers took place only a few weeks ago (news article online). Dr. Ulrich Lossen said during the festivities: "In the past months our employees and many other people have given their best to keep the tight schedule. I am proud that after only eight months of construction and rebuilding works, we can now give the start signal for Singlemode fibers "Made in Germany"." The CEO of the Hengtong Group, Mr. Jianlin Quian, expressed his gratitude for the support of the Chinese and German authorities and emphasized: "The fourth industrial revolution, the so-called Industry 4.0, is opening up a new, intelligent and digital age. Both, Hengtong and Leoni, will be working together to provide the right answers to the opportunities and challenges of the digital age".

Singlemode fibers for the broadband expansion in Germany and Europe
The requirements for broadband networks will continue to rise in the future due to new digital applications and changing usage habits. Broadband expansion in Germany and Europe therefore requires high-performance Singlemode fibers as a key element of optical communication networks. A fiber optic network with full-coverage is also a prerequisite for the introduction of the next generation mobile communications standard ("5G") in the upcoming years. On the basis of the "Thuringian fiber optic strategy", a full-coverage fiber optic network is to be created in the Free State of Thuringia by 2025. State Secretary for Economic Affairs Kerst therefore highlights the enormous importance of the investment: "Optical fibers are the basis for internet accesses with highest transmission rates and thus essential for the ongoing digitalization of our society. I am therefore particularly pleased that j-fiber Hengtong GmbH establishes itself as one of the leading manufacturers of Singlemode fibers in Europe with its new production facility being the only company in Germany to produce optical fibers on an industrial level.
j-fiber GmbH is one of world’s leading manufacturers of Multimode fibers for the use in modern data centers and has more than 40 years of experience in the production of optical fibers. j-fiber and its subsidiaries employ about 200 people in Jena. The joint venture for the production of Singlemode fibers is expected to create up to 40 new jobs midterm.