In a shocking revelation, German telecommunications companies have been found to consistently underdeliver on the speeds promised in their contracts to users. The regulator’s annual report has highlighted that both mobile and fixed networks often fall short of the agreed-upon terms.
In the mobile internet segment, only four percent of users received the promised data transfer rate in the most recent period, with a quarter experiencing speeds that were half as slow as advertised. This is a significant disappointment for customers who rely on fast and reliable internet access.
The report also noted that in the fixed network segment, only 43.5 percent of users received the contracted data transmission speed, while 85.5 percent received at least half the speed. Despite these findings, the majority of users expressed satisfaction with their internet service providers, with 79.1 percent being satisfied with fixed internet access and 70.4 percent satisfied with mobile networks.
On a positive note, the report highlighted significant progress in the deployment of 5G networks, with the share of 5G network users increasing from six percent in the previous period to 29 percent in the most recent reporting period. Federal Network Agency President Klaus Mueller commended network operators for their rapid progress in 5G deployment, noting that this trend is expected to continue in the coming years. However, it remains to be seen whether these improvements will be enough to make up for the disappointing performance of traditional telecommunications companies in delivering on their contractual obligations to customers.
