Right to fast internet: 10 Mbit / s is (for the time being) enough







The Federal Network Agency has made suggestions as to how fast Internet access must at least be. Hardcore streamers and gamers will thank you …

The new version of the Telecommunications Act (TKG) came into force on December 1st, 2021. Among other things, it says that every resident of Germany is now entitled to “fast internet”. But how fast does this “fast internet” have to be? That is not yet in the law, but the Federal Network Agency has yet to set this minimum speed by June 1, 2022. Specifically, this involves minimum specifications for the data transmission rate in downloading and uploading as well as for the latency.

The Federal Network Agency is holding a hearing on this in order to determine the “requirements for basic telecommunications services”. The Federal Network Agency has published “initial considerations” on this; You can read the three underlying reports here. The content of these “initial considerations” is unlikely to please many Internet users, especially those in the flat countryside, which is traditionally poorly connected to the Internet.

These are the minimum values ​​put up for discussion

Because the Federal Network Agency puts the following values ​​up for discussion for the hearing on the definition of the basic service with fast Internet: A download rate of at least 10 Mbit / s, an upload rate of at least 1.3 Mbit / s and a latency of a maximum of 150 milliseconds. The Federal Network Agency justifies these proposed values ​​as follows: “According to the report published today, Internet access that meets these requirements enables the use of all Internet services essential for the basic service.”

With a latency of 150 milliseconds, you can forget about online gaming and certainly smooth video conferences. Obviously, the Federal Network Agency does not see online gaming as a basic service. But even 10 Mbit / s quickly becomes scarce if several people stream high-resolution videos on one connection. Or if you have to make a video conference in the home office and the children are streaming videos at the same time. Netflix, to name a prominent example, requires an Internet connection with at least 25 Mbit / s in order to be able to use 4K streaming.

In this context, the Federal Network Agency expressly speaks of “minimum requirements for Internet access that enables all relevant online services”. The Federal Network Agency defines “relevant online services” as “all essential Internet services, telecommuting and video streaming”.

After all, the Federal Network Agency writes: “The proposed values ​​are only a first milestone that has to be checked annually. It is to be expected that the development will take a dynamic course and thus reflect technological advances ”.

So it goes on now

All interested parties can comment on both the consultation document and the three reports by January 31, 2022. It can be assumed that Internet access companies want minimum requirements that are as low as possible. That already sounded through when the telecommunications companies criticized the reduction rights for slow internet connections that have been in effect since December 1st, 2021: Paying too much for slow internet: Telco associations vs. consumer advocates.

The statutory ordinance to be issued by the Federal Network Agency by June 1, 2022 then requires the approval of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport and the competent Bundestag committee. The approval of the Federal Council is also required.

From December 1st: This now applies to Internet, telephony, change of provider, new and old contracts

Cancel internet contract after 1 month: This is possible under these conditions

Internet too slow? Exam from 13.12. possible!





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