Insurance for network operators, providers and fibre installers in Germany
A digger hits the gas main while laying fibre, a router update knocks out 3,000 connections, an attacker reads out customer data. In telecoms a single error can hit many people at once. This page shows what cover is needed for that and roughly what it costs.
Are we liable if our customers have no internet for a day because of a fault?
Towards consumers, liability for financial loss is capped per customer under the German Telecommunications Act (Telekommunikationsgesetz); towards business customers, whatever the contract says applies. If the cause is your mistake, such as a wrong configuration, claims for lost sales can follow. IT or financial loss liability covers these, not standard public liability.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Utility strikes in groundworks
Trenching and directional drilling hit power, gas and water lines. On top of the repair, utility operators claim outage and follow on costs.
02
Outages caused by mistakes
A faulty update, a wrongly set route, a disconnected cable: business customers lose sales and want compensation.
03
Cyber attacks
Providers are attractive targets. Attacks on customer data, DDoS and ransomware hit operations and data protection at the same time.
04
Working at height
Masts, roofs and ladders: engineers fall, tools drop onto passers by or cars.
05
Kit in the field
Street cabinets, radio links and server rooms are damaged by lightning, water, accidents and vandalism.
06
Copper and tools
Cable drums, fusion splicers and test equipment on sites and in vans are stolen regularly.
Covers injury and property damage during installation and groundworks; adequate limits for utility strikes and damage to things you work on are what matter.
Extra protection for engineers who work at height and on the roads.
What it costs: example prices
The range is wide: a small phone system installer pays little, a fibre builder doing groundworks much more. What matters is turnover, activity, the limit for utility strikes and the number of customers served.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Professional indemnity
IT and financial loss liability for a freelance network specialist
about €300 to €2,800 a year
Business liability
Fibre installation with five staff and some groundworks, €5 million limit
about €1,500 to €4,000 a year
Cyber insurance
Regional provider with 5,000 customers, €1 million limit
about €1,500 to €4,000 a year
Electronic equipment
Network and server equipment worth €200,000
about €1,000 to €2,500 a year
Machinery breakdown
Directional drilling rig worth €150,000
about €1,200 to €2,200 a year
For comparison: A small fibre installer's public liability costs about as much a year as ten to twenty finished, spliced home connections bring in.
Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026.
The IT liability figure comes from publicly quoted comparison values,
the machinery figures are based on published rates for mobile plant,
and the other values are guide figures from our own quoting work.
Six events of the kind telecoms businesses really experience, all on one Tuesday. Tap through and see who pays.
Damage so far€143,400
Directional drilling strikes a medium voltage cable. A business park is without power for hours.
€45,000 · Paid by: Business liability
A faulty firmware update takes 40 business customers offline for a day. Two claim lost sales.
€18,000 · Paid by: Professional indemnity
An engineer on a mast drops a spanner, which hits the windscreen of a parked car.
€1,400 · Paid by: Business liability
A DDoS attack with a ransom demand knocks out the customer portal and billing.
€32,000 · Paid by: Cyber insurance
Lightning strikes a radio link site and destroys the antenna and equipment.
€26,000 · Paid by: Electronic equipment
A fusion splicer and test equipment are stolen from the site container.
€21,000 · Paid by: Electronic equipment
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €143,400
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Have damage to underground lines included at the full limit, not just a small sub limit.
Financial losses from outages belong in separate IT or financial loss liability, matched to your customer contracts.
Check that your limitation of liability towards business customers has been validly agreed; it lowers both risk and premium.
Damage to other people's buildings, roofs and installations you work on must be written into the policy, otherwise in house wiring jobs are not covered.
Insure field equipment sites against lightning, power surges and vandalism under an electronics policy.
Ask subcontractors in network build for proof of liability cover before they set foot on your site.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We know the sub limits
Utility strikes, damage to things you work on, financial loss from outages: the differences hide in subordinate clauses. As a broker we compare several insurers line by line.
Claims experience from our own case files
In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. We know how to document a cable strike and its follow on costs properly.
Business, fleet and staff in one place
We coordinate liability, machinery, vehicles, group accident and company pensions with each other.
Family run since 1989
Our work is free for you; the insurer pays our commission. You have named contacts, even when things are urgent on site.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
Do telecoms companies need compulsory insurance?
Not by law.
But during network build, local authorities,
network operators and main contractors almost always demand public liability with specific limits.
Does public liability cover damage to other people's lines?
In principle yes, but often only up to a sub limit and with a higher excess.
For groundworks the full limit should apply.
Who pays if customers lose sales because of a fault?
If you are liable, financial loss liability.
Public liability does not cover such pure financial losses.
Is a DDoS attack covered?
Under a cyber policy usually yes,
including business interruption and the costs of defence and communication.
Check how long the outage has to last before it pays.
Which Berufsgenossenschaft is responsible?
For telecoms companies the BG Verkehr, for electrical and installation firms usually the BG ETEM.
The statutory accident insurer decides which applies once you register.
What does insurance for a small fibre installer cost?
With liability, financial loss, machinery,
vehicles and group accident usually €6,000 to €18,000 a year,
depending on the share of groundworks.
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