The federal government apparently wants to expand the right to fast internet in Germany. The minimum bandwidth for uploads and downloads should increase. This way, more households could benefit from better internet connections. The backgrounds.
More citizens in Germany could benefit from the so-called right to fast internet in the future. Currently, all households must have at least ten megabits per second for downloads and 1.7 megabits for uploads. Many people have significantly better connections. However, there are still users in remote areas of the country with poorer access.
Government wants to extend the right to fast internet
Like from different media reports According to reports, the minimum internet speed will increase to 15 megabits per second for downloads this year. The upload should also reach at least five megabits per second. This emerges from a letter from the Bundestag coalition groups made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP, which the dpa has received.
The adjustment is intended to cause more addresses to fall below the Internet minimum. According to the Federal Network Agency, the number of underserved households would then rise from 1.8 to 2.2 million. However, some of the addresses appear to be within the range of cell phone antennas that meet the minimum requirements. Satellite internet coverage is also conceivable, but it would have to remain affordable.
The Bundestag’s Digital Committee is scheduled to vote on the change to the regulation on July 3, 2024. The Federal Network Agency could then issue a new regulation that should apply from late summer or autumn 2024.
Is the new minimum speed enough for home office and gaming?
In particular, increasing the upload speed to five megabits per second is important to enable standard video conferencing. The adjustment could lead to improvements, especially in rural areas. Snail-paced internet is often the reality there. However, the new minimum speed would still not be enough for multiple calls taking place at the same time or for gaming.
Overall, the term “fast” should be used with caution in connection with the expansion of speed. Most city residents already use television and fiber optic cables and therefore benefit from speeds of around 1,000 megabits per second.
Consumer advocates are critical
Consumer advocates have mixed reactions to the increase in speed of the Internet. Felix Flosbach from the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center welcomed the increase. However, he criticized the delay, as the adjustment had already been promised for last year.
President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, in turn compared the right to a minimum Internet provision with the minimum wage: “Most people get more, no one can have less.” The minimum entitlement is regularly checked and further adjusted to the increasing requirements in the Internet age.
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