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Consumers in rural areas can hope for better internet

No matter where in Germany, citizens everywhere are entitled to an Internet connection at home. There is a statutory minimum level for this, which is still low - but is likely to rise soon.

,   and  Christian Meier
3 min read
The "right to fast Internet" has not really helped people in remote areas so far.
The "right to fast Internet" has not really helped people in remote areas so far.

Telecommunications - Consumers in rural areas can hope for better internet

The so-called Right to Fast Internet may bring more citizens more than before. Currently, all households in Germany must be able to receive at least 10 Megabits per second in download and 1.7 Megabits in upload. Most households can get significantly better connections, but it may still be worse in remote areas. This Right to Fast Internet could lead the affected individuals to enforce a better connection in such areas.

According to a letter from the parliamentary coalition factions of SPD, Greens, and FDP, this minimum level is supposed to increase this year - to 15 Megabits in download and 5 Megabits in upload. This letter is available to the German Press Agency.

The number of addresses below this Internet minimum, according to the Federal Network Agency, increases from 1.8 to 2.2 million. However, some of these addresses may be within the range of mobile network antennas that meet the minimum requirements - it is unclear how many there are. Satellite Internet could also meet the requirements, as long as it remains affordable. According to an earlier estimation by the Federal Network Agency, which referred to the old minimum requirement, about 400,000 households were considered under-supplied nationwide. Now, there are more.

The Digital Committee of the Bundestag is to vote on the regulatory amendment on Wednesday and give the Federal Network Agency the green light to issue a corresponding regulation. The new rule is expected to take effect from late summer or fall.

It's about the "Right to Communication Services Supply". This is also referred to as the "Right to Fast Internet", although most city dwellers would not consider the Internet coverage provided by this Right to be "fast". Where cable or fiber-optic Internet is available, 1000 Megabits per second in download are offered. In areas where dial-up Internet is still a reality, the minimum requirements could indeed be an improvement.

The improvement of uploads - a tripling of the previously valid requirement - is particularly important for consumers. It could be sufficient for standard video conferences, but it might struggle with several video conferences conducted simultaneously over an internet connection. And if gamers live in the household and enjoy online gaming, long faces might still be a reality.

Politicians speak of a "digital safety net"

"With the increase in minimum bandwidths, we are expanding the digital safety net for those who have not been supplied with fast Internet so far," said FDP Bundestag member Maximilian Funke-Kaiser. Social Democrat Johannes Schätzl emphasized that digital participation is part of social participation.

The President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, commented on the significance of the Right to a Minimum Internet Supply: "It's like the minimum wage: Most get more, no one should have less." The minimum requirement is regularly checked. "With the increasing demands in the Internet age, the minimum level should also increase in the future."

Wrinkling their brows, consumer protection advocates reacted. "We are indeed glad that the affected consumers, women and men, are now receiving a higher standard of minimum provision," said Felix Flosbach from the Consumer Center NRW. Unfortunately, this increase came too late, it had already been promised for the previous year.

Legal action with little effect so far

The "Right to fast internet" has existed - with lower requirements - since 2021. However, it has brought nothing significant to people in remote areas yet. Only in March of this year did the Federal Network Agency take action for the first time and obliged an Internet service provider to provide internet access to a household in Germany.

  1. The proposed increase in the minimum Internet speed by the SPD, Greens, and FDP factions in the Bundestag could potentially benefit numerous households in Germany.
  2. According to Maximilian Funke-Kaiser, an FDP Bundestag member, the increase in minimum bandwidths represents an expansion of the digital safety net for those lacking fast Internet.
  3. The new regulations, once approved by the Digital Committee of the Bundestag, are anticipated to take effect in late summer or fall, according to the text from the German Press Agency.
  4. Critics in the consumer protection sector, such as Felix Flosbach from the Consumer Center NRW, have expressed concerns that the increase in minimum requirements came too late and had previously been promised.
  5. The Federal Network Agency's President, Klaus Müller, noted that the minimum requirement for Internet supply is analogous to the minimum wage, with most gaining more and no one losing coverage.
  6. Legal claims, according to Flosbach, have had little effect thus far in delivering fast Internet to remote areas, and waiting for regulatory changes to take place may continue to be a frustrating reality for some consumers.

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