Is your home internet slower than your contract says? Then a proper measurement is worth it. Only proof gathered under the rules of the Bundesnetzagentur (the German regulator) will help you later when you speak to your provider.
How the measurement works
The Bundesnetzagentur offers a desktop app for this. You measure with a computer connected to the router by cable, not over Wi-Fi (1). One measurement campaign consists of 30 measurements on three measurement days. There must be at least one day of pause between measurement days, and the whole campaign has to be finished within 14 days (1)(2). At the end you receive a measurement protocol – keep it safe.
When is there a deviation?
One of these three conditions is enough (2):
- On at least two of the three measurement days, 90 % of the contractually agreed maximum speed is missed at least once.
- The normally available speed is not reached in 90 % of the measurements.
- On at least two measurement days, the speed falls below the minimum speed at least once.
The reference values are in your provider’s product information sheet and contract summary (2).
What you can do next
You can contact your provider with the protocol and ask for a reduction of the monthly fee. The law does not fix the amount; it depends on the case (2). If the problem is not fixed, you may have a right to extraordinary termination (1)(2). Important: for fixed-line internet the provider is only responsible up to the wall socket. Problems caused by an old router or by Wi-Fi are not included (1). If talking does not help, you can file a dispute-resolution request with the Bundesnetzagentur (2).
If the internet fails completely
In a full outage there is compensation from the 3rd calendar day after you report the fault: 10 % of the agreed monthly fee on days 3 and 4 (at least 5 euros) and 20 % from day 5 (at least 10 euros) (1).
For a general overview of tariffs and switching, see our guide Home internet: compare and switch.
This article is general information. We do not give advice and do not recommend any provider or tariff; the decision is yours.
Sources (checked 24 October 2026)
- (1) Verbraucherzentrale: Internetanschluss zu langsam oder ausgefallen? (page dated 2 October 2026)
- (2) Bundesnetzagentur: Internetgeschwindigkeit, fixed-line broadband measurement