# 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.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-telecoms.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## 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.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No insurance is required by law, but network operators have security and data protection duties, and local authorities and clients ask for proof of liability cover
- **Biggest risk:** Damage to underground utilities during network build, and customers' financial losses during outages
- **Basic cover from:** about €300 a year for a small service provider's IT and financial loss liability
- **Statutory accident insurer:** the BG Verkehr (telecoms section) is the Berufsgenossenschaft or statutory accident insurer; installation and electrical firms usually belong to the BG ETEM
- **Often forgotten:** Damage to other operators' utility lines: many public liability policies only cover it up to a sub limit
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 61.10 Leitungsgebundene, drahtlose und satellitengestützte Telekommunikation, 61.20 Wiederverkaufs- und Vermittlungstätigkeiten für die Telekommunikation, 61.90 Sonstige Telekommunikation

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **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.
- **Outages caused by mistakes:** A faulty update, a wrongly set route, a disconnected cable: business customers lose sales and want compensation.
- **Cyber attacks:** Providers are attractive targets. Attacks on customer data, DDoS and ransomware hit operations and data protection at the same time.
- **Working at height:** Masts, roofs and ladders: engineers fall, tools drop onto passers by or cars.
- **Kit in the field:** Street cabinets, radio links and server rooms are damaged by lightning, water, accidents and vandalism.
- **Copper and tools:** Cable drums, fusion splicers and test equipment on sites and in vans are stolen regularly.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 5, Fire and water 3, Theft 3, Cyber 5, Downtime 4, Health 3

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers injury and property damage during installation and groundworks; adequate limits for utility strikes and damage to things you work on are what matter. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Professional indemnity** (Strongly advised): IT and financial loss liability pays when customers lose sales because of your mistakes in the network or services. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): Covers attacks on the network, customer data and billing, including forensics, notifications and business interruption. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): Replaces network equipment, servers, radio links and test gear after lightning, power surges, water and operating errors. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): Protects income if a data centre or equipment site is out of action after physical damage. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Depends on the business): Covers directional drilling rigs, mini diggers and cable pulling machines used in network build. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php
- **Fleet insurance** (Depends on the business): Installation vans are stores on wheels; from three vehicles a fleet policy pays off. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-fleet-insurance.php
- **Group accident insurance** (Depends on the business): Extra protection for engineers who work at height and on the roads. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-group-accident.php

## 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._

- [Finanzchef24: IT-Haftpflichtversicherung](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/it-haftpflicht)
- [Bernhard Assekuranz: Maschinenbruchversicherung, Kosten und Vergleich](https://bernhard-assekuranz.com/maschinenversicherung/maschinenbruchversicherung-kosten-vergleich/)
- [BG Verkehr: Branchen einschließlich Telekommunikation](https://www.bg-verkehr.de/)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Service** (Phone systems, network engineering and service without groundworks): Business liability, Professional indemnity, Electronic equipment. Together: about €800 to €2,500 a year
- **Network build** (Fibre and cable construction with groundworks, vehicles and machinery): Business liability, Professional indemnity, Machinery breakdown, Fleet insurance, Group accident insurance. Together: about €6,000 to €18,000 a year
- **Provider** (Regional network operator or provider with its own network and end customers): Business liability, Professional indemnity, Cyber insurance, Electronic equipment, Business interruption, Fleet insurance. Together: about €8,000 to €25,000 a year

## The worst day in network operations

Six events of the kind telecoms businesses really experience, all on one Tuesday. Tap through and see who pays.

- 07:40: Directional drilling strikes a medium voltage cable. A business park is without power for hours. (€45,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 09:30: A faulty firmware update takes 40 business customers offline for a day. Two claim lost sales. (€18,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 11:50: An engineer on a mast drops a spanner, which hits the windscreen of a parked car. (€1,400, Paid by: Business liability)
- 14:15: A DDoS attack with a ransom demand knocks out the customer portal and billing. (€32,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 18:00: Lightning strikes a radio link site and destroys the antenna and equipment. (€26,000, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 23:30: A fusion splicer and test equipment are stolen from the site container. (€21,000, Paid by: Electronic equipment)

**Damage so far:** €143,400

## 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 settlements:** 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.

## FAQ

### 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.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-telecoms.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.