Bonn, 23.12.2021 Yesterday, the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) published an initial proposal for the minimum requirements for internet access as part of the right to fast internet. The German Broadband Association (BREKO) considers the BNetzA’s proposal to set the minimum requirements for internet access at 10 Mbit/s for downloads, 1.3 Mbit/s for uploads and a maximum latency of 150 milliseconds to be appropriate.

According to an expert report published at the same time by the BNetzA, such a connection enables the use of all Internet services stipulated by law and EU legislation, such as email, online banking, video conferencing and VPN. If the minimum requirements are set too high, this could have the undesirable side effect of slowing down the expansion of fiber optic networks overall, as scarce planning and construction capacities would be used to comply with the right to fast Internet instead of driving forward the efficient, self-sufficient expansion of fiber optic networks as before.

BREKO Managing Director Dr. Stephan Albers:

“Although we remain critical of the universal service, we consider the Federal Network Agency’s proposal on the requirements for Internet coverage for all households in Germany to be appropriate overall, because on this basis, it is possible to guarantee the right to fast Internet introduced with the new Telecommunications Act without slowing down the now rapidly increasing momentum of the roll-out of fiber optic networks.”

BREKO believes it is important that the minimum requirements are not misunderstood as a target for Internet coverage in Germany. 10 Mbit/s is the minimum that should be available everywhere in Germany. Nevertheless, the overarching goal must remain to achieve nationwide coverage with significantly more powerful, future-proof fiber optic connections – as the new German government also envisages in its coalition agreement.

A positive aspect is that the minimum requirements proposed by the BNetzA can also be technically implemented using a satellite connection. This will ensure that the implementation of the “right to fast Internet” contained in the new Telecommunications Act does not divert planning and construction capacities from the ongoing expansion of fiber optic networks. For capacity reasons, satellite-based Internet connections are not suitable for a nationwide supply of broadband connections, as a study conducted by the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen on behalf of BREKO this year showed. However, they are a good alternative to wired connections for the prompt supply of individual remote households.