Minimum speed for Internet - Right to fast internet should benefit more citizens
The Right to Fast Internet is expected to become more pressing, as more citizens are expected to rely on it. A vote is currently in the Bundestag Committee on Digital Affairs regarding this matter. The new rules could come into effect in December. Here's an overview of the topic.
Where is the main problem?
Internet providers have been announcing progress in network expansion every week. More households can now book Fiber to the Home (FTTH) contracts, offering a download speed of 1000 Megabits per second or even more, and good upload speeds. Cable TV internet offers less bandwidth in the range of three to four-digit Mbps.
The catch is that the internet is generally good where many people live. Thinly populated areas can benefit from government funding, while others are left behind - while the internet improves for the majority of the population, some areas are being left behind. According to the Federal Network Agency, 1.8 million addresses in Germany currently receive less than 10 Megabits per second in download speed or are completely offline.
What is the current solution?
To prevent the digital divide from worsening, a so-called Right to Fast Internet has been in effect since the end of 2021. The Federal Network Agency set a minimum in the spring of 2022: a download speed of 10 Megabits per second and an upload speed of 1.7 Megabits per second must be available everywhere. The latency, which is crucial for online games, must not exceed 150 milliseconds.
Those who do not meet these requirements can register with the Federal Network Agency and force their internet provider to provide a better connection. This is intended to ensure "appropriate social and economic participation" in the digital age, as stated in a regulation. Encrypted communication via a VPN tunnel or video conferences in home offices should be possible in all German households.
What's the issue?
What looks promising on paper is disappointing in practice. According to the Federal Network Agency, they have received approximately 5,500 applications from citizens who wanted to use the Right to Fast Internet since 2022.
However, many applicants fell through the cracks. In their cases, it was found through technical measurements that their connection was not as bad as they thought - they felt under-supplied, but they were not. Some applicants even received good news: their connection was to be upgraded, but they had not known this.
In about 30 cases, the "under-supplied status" was established - the prerequisite for the authority to force an internet provider to provide a better connection to the consumer. The Federal Network Agency had only done this a total of four times according to their own statements.
What is being improved?
The minimum requirements are to be raised, from 10 Megabits per second in download to 15 Megabits and from 1.7 Megabits in upload to 5 Megabits. The Digital Committee of the Bundestag is expected to approve a corresponding proposal from the Federal Network Agency on Wednesday. The better upload speed should significantly help in handling video conferences without issues. With the new values, approximately 2.2 million addresses and thus 0.4 million more could be considered under-supplied. The latency remains at 150 milliseconds.
Additionally, the interest groups in the Digital Committee are advocating for simplifying the usage of the right to appeal for citizens. In addition, the Federal Network Agency should create an additional brochure besides the contact form on the internet, demands Green Bundestag member Tabea Rößner. "An information offering about the right to the internet should be available in every town hall and citizen's office, just as analog and close to the citizens - after all, they cannot fill out internet forms without connection."
What do consumer protection organizations say about that?
Consumer protection organizations consider the current rules too lenient. "An increase in the minimum bandwidth is long overdue," says Ramona Pop, CEO of the German Consumers' Federation, and demands a simpler and more transparent application procedure. She points out that there are cases where the Federal Network Agency has identified an under-supply, "but nothing happens nevertheless."
Felix Flosbach from the Consumer Center North Rhine-Westphalia considers the currently valid rules to be of little help. "The legislator must improve some points, so that all consumers, women and men, can receive a sufficient connection to the digital world and thus participate in social life." The increase in values is a step in the right direction, but it falls too short.
- In the ongoing discussion about the Right to Fast Internet in the Bundestag Committee on Digital Affairs, Germany's thinly populated areas are a significant concern.
- The Federal Network Agency reports that around 1.8 million addresses in Germany struggle with internet speeds below 10 Megabits per second or complete disconnection.
- Consumers in these areas rely on the Right to Fast Internet, allowing them to register a legal claim with the Federal Network Agency for better service.
- In Berlin, the Bundestag is considering improving the minimum requirements, aiming to raise the download speed from 10 to 15 Megabits and the upload speed from 1.7 to 5 Megabits.
- According to consumer protection organizations, the current rules are too lenient and call for a simpler and more transparent application procedure to ensure all Germans have sufficient internet access.
