Internet supply: Federal Council: Clear the way for minimum Internet speed

internet supply
Federal Council: Clear the way for minimum internet speed

In the future there will also be faster internet in previously underserved areas in Germany. Photo: Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa

© dpa-infocom GmbH

In the future, a download speed of 10 Mbit per second and uploads of 1.7 Mbit per second should be possible everywhere in Germany. The Federal Council has given the green light for the new ordinance.

The Federal Council has given the go-ahead for faster internet in previously underserved areas in Germany. The chamber of the federal states agreed to the specifications of the Federal Network Agency for minimum internet coverage in Germany.

From now on downloads with 10Mbit per second

The regulation states that in future a download speed of at least 10 megabits per second must be possible everywhere in Germany. For the upload it should be 1.7 megabits per second. In addition, the response time must not exceed 150 milliseconds.

“With this ordinance, the Federal Network Agency will be able to enforce this right to a minimum supply,” said Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport, Daniela Kluckert (FDP). She referred to a protocol statement in which the federal government had previously announced an increase in the minimum speed to 15 Mbit/s.

Criticism: Citizens would expect more

In an accompanying resolution, however, the Federal Council criticized the fact that the ordinance did not live up to citizens’ expectations of “fast Internet”. Previously, Bavaria and Lower Saxony in particular had criticized the minimum speed in the regulation as “no longer up to date”. The declaration of the state chamber now states that for equal participation in digital life it is essential that every household in Germany is given the best possible care – even in rural areas.

The basic supply for consumers is regulated in the Telecommunications Act, which has been in force since December. The technical details are regulated by the TK Minimum Supply Ordinance that has now been passed. According to experts, the minimum values ​​for downloading and uploading are quite low – the vast majority of Germans have significantly better Internet connections. In the countryside and on the outskirts of the city, however, the requirements could in some places ensure that at least a halfway acceptable minimum supply is granted. If the requirements are not met, the Federal Network Agency could arrange for better connections to be laid.

dpa

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