Home internet in Germany: providers, contracts and the activation wait
DSL, cable or fibre from ~€20-40/month - order early, activation takes 2-4 weeks. Your TKG rights: monthly cancellation after year one, and slow-speed refunds.
Last updated: August 18, 2026
How do I get home internet in Germany?
Check what's available at your exact address (DSL, cable, or fibre - availability is address-specific), compare tariffs (~€20-25/month promo, €30-45 regular for 50-250 Mbit), and order immediately after signing your lease - activation takes 2-4 weeks, sometimes longer with a technician visit. Since the 2021 TKG reform you're protected: after the initial term (max 24 months) contracts become monthly cancellable, switching is handled by the new provider with max one day of downtime, and if measured speeds stay below the contract you can reduce the bill or exit. Bridge the wait with mobile data.
What this guide covers
The one thing to know first: order early
German home internet's defining feature isn't speed or price - it's the wait. Between ordering and a working line sit 2-4 weeks as standard (a one-off €30-70 activation fee included), longer if a technician must visit or the previous tenant's line needs releasing. So the rule is simple: order the day you sign the lease, not the day you move in (Setting up utilities in a German flat sequences it). Bridge the gap with your phone's hotspot or a data SIM - German mobile data is cheap now (Mobile in Germany).
Start with the address check, not the brand
Availability in Germany is decided street by street. Put your address into CHECK24's DSL and fibre comparison and it shows only the tariffs that can actually be delivered to your flat - then ranks them on real cost. German-language site, so pair it with your browser's translate function.
Check what's available at your addressAffiliate link. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free.
DSL vs cable vs fibre: what your address decides
Availability is per-address, not per-city - the same street can have all three or only one:
| Technology | Speeds | Reality check |
|---|---|---|
| DSL/VDSL (Telekom lines, resold by many) | 16-250 Mbit | Available almost everywhere; the default |
| Cable (Vodafone/Kabel network) | 100-1,000 Mbit | Fast and often cheap; shared medium can dip at peak times |
| Fibre/Glasfaser (FTTH) | 300-1,000+ Mbit | The future - bookable at roughly 30-40% of households and expanding fast |
Check your address on each provider's availability checker or a comparison portal, and verify what the building actually has - the landlord or previous tenant knows whether a cable/fibre socket exists. If fibre reaches your building, take it; otherwise cable for speed or (V)DSL for ubiquity.
Fibre is built street by street, so the builder matters
That 30-40% figure is not spread evenly - it is a patchwork of local build projects, and in a fibre area the company that laid the cable is usually the one selling on it. TNG is one of those builders, with its own network in named expansion areas across Schleswig-Holstein (much the largest, from its Kiel base), plus Soltau in Lower Saxony, Hessen and Baden-Württemberg. It supplies nowhere else, so outside those areas ignore this and use the portals; inside them 1,000 Mbit/s is the standard tier. German-language site, so pair it with your browser's translate function.
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The market and real prices
Four networks matter - Telekom (the premium DSL/fibre incumbent), Vodafone (cable + DSL), o2 (value DSL/fibre), 1&1 (value, own fibre + resold lines) - plus regional fibre players (Deutsche Glasfaser and city carriers) and budget resellers. 2026 pricing:
- Promo pricing ~€20-25/month for the first 6-12 months is standard; the regular price (€30-45+) kicks in after - judge a tariff by its *average* monthly cost over the full term, which portals display.
- 50-100 Mbit comfortably serves streaming + home office for most households; pay up for 250+ only if you move big files or share with many people.
- The router: providers push rentals (~€5/month), but Germany has router freedom (Routerfreiheit) - you may buy your own (a Fritz!Box is the local classic) and skip the rental.
Cross-check the line before you commit for 24 months
Portals do not carry identical provider panels, so the same address can return different offers and different availability on each. Since a German internet contract usually locks you in for 24 months, a second opinion is cheap insurance - Preisvergleich checks DSL, cable and fibre for your exact address. German-language site, so pair it with your browser’s translate.
Cross-check DSL offers for your addressAffiliate link. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free.
The no-installation option: 5G/LTE home internet
If the 2-4 week activation wait is a dealbreaker (new arrival, short lease, or a building with no free line), mobile home internet is the underused answer:
- A 5G/LTE router (from Telekom, Vodafone, o2, or 1&1) uses the mobile network instead of a fixed line - no technician, no line activation, working the day the SIM arrives.
- Speeds are genuinely good on 5G (often 100-300+ Mbit where coverage is strong); LTE is slower but fine for streaming and video calls.
- Trade-offs: data can be capped or throttled on some tariffs (check for "unlimited"), latency is higher than fibre (matters for competitive gaming), and price is similar to fixed internet.
- Best for: bridging the fixed-line wait, short-term flats, or as a permanent solution where fixed options are poor. Check 5G coverage at your address on the Bundesnetzagentur map first (Mobile in Germany covers the networks).
Some expats run 5G home internet permanently and never bother with DSL - worth pricing before you commit to a 24-month fixed contract.
The no-technician route, straight from the network owner
Telekom is one of the four operators selling the 5G router option above, and it runs the network that covers the most land area in Germany - which is exactly what decides whether mobile home internet works at your address. It also sells the fixed DSL and fibre lines, so one address check tells you which of the two you can actually get. It is the premium-priced option of the group, so compare it against the portals above rather than assuming; the case for going direct is coverage, not cost. German-language site, so pair it with your browser’s translate function.
Run the Telekom address checkAffiliate link. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free.
TV: you now arrange it yourself (since July 2024)
A change that catches renters out: until mid-2024 landlords bundled cable TV into the Nebenkosten (the "Nebenkostenprivileg"). That ended on 1 July 2024 - so TV no longer "just works" off the wall socket, and you choose your own:
- TV over the internet (streaming, broadcaster apps, IPTV) - the default now, and why many skip cable entirely.
- Your own cable contract (Vodafone/regional operators), satellite, or a DVB-T2 antenna for free German channels.
- Your internet contract and your TV choice are now separate decisions - you don't need a TV package to get internet.
- Separately, everyone owes the Rundfunkbeitrag (€18.36/month) whether or not they own a TV - see Rundfunkbeitrag.
Your TKG rights (the 2021 reform did you favours)
Germany's telecom law was overhauled in December 2021, and the consumer wins are real:
| Right | What it means |
|---|---|
| Monthly cancellation after the initial term (§56 TKG) | A 24-month contract can no longer auto-renew for a year - after the initial term you cancel with one month's notice, any time |
| Seamless switching | The NEW provider manages the change; your line may be down max one working day |
| Slow-internet reduction right (§57 TKG) | If delivered speeds repeatedly miss the contract, you may reduce the monthly price proportionally or terminate without notice - proven via the official Bundesnetzagentur measurement tool |
| Moving house | Take the contract along; if the provider can't deliver at the new address, special termination with 1 month's notice |
To use the speed right: run the official breitbandmessung.de desktop measurement campaign (multiple measurements over multiple days per its protocol) - its certified report is the evidence your provider can't argue with.
Choosing: the five-filter checklist
- Address availability first - the tech at your address beats any brand preference.
- Average monthly cost over the initial term (promo + regular months + fees, minus cashback), not the headline.
- 12-month term if the premium is small - flexibility is worth a few euros; monthly-cancellable tariffs exist for more.
- Skip the router rental if you're happy buying a Fritz!Box.
- English support matters when things break: o2, Vodafone, and Telekom all have English-capable channels; budget resellers mostly don't.
Filter 1, done in one check
Filter one decides the other four, and for fibre it is worth running against the network owner directly rather than only a portal - a regional builder sometimes shows an address as connectable when the aggregators have not caught up. TNG's checker covers its own footprint: named expansion areas in Schleswig-Holstein (the bulk, from its Kiel base), Soltau in Lower Saxony, Hessen and Baden-Württemberg, and nothing outside them - so this is a two-minute check if you live there and a skip if you don't. Note filter 5 applies: support is German. Pair it with your browser's translate function.
Run the TNG address checkAffiliate link. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free.
Run the five filters against the live market
CHECK24 shows the promo price, the regular price after it expires, the activation fee and any cashback in one row - which is the only honest way to compare average monthly cost over the initial term. German-language site, so pair it with your browser's translate function.
Compare internet tariffs on CHECK24Affiliate link. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free.
Cancellation mechanics when you eventually leave - notice windows, proof of delivery, the moving exception - are in How to cancel any contract in Germany (r/germany's eternal question).
Frequently asked questions
How long does internet activation take in Germany?
Standard is 2-4 weeks from order to a live line, longer if a technician visit is needed. Order the day you sign your lease and bridge the gap with mobile data or a hotspot.
Which is better - DSL, cable, or fibre?
Whatever your address actually has: fibre if it reaches your building, cable for cheap speed (with possible peak-time dips), DSL as the everywhere-default. Availability is address-specific, so check before comparing prices.
How much does home internet cost?
Promo pricing runs ~€20-25/month for the first 6-12 months, regular pricing €30-45+ for 50-250 Mbit, plus a one-off €30-70 activation fee. Compare on the average monthly cost over the whole initial term.
Can I cancel my internet contract monthly?
After the initial term (max 24 months), yes - the 2021 TKG reform ended year-long auto-renewals; one month's notice applies. During the initial term you're bound unless a special right (moving, price increase, chronic underdelivery) fires.
My internet is slower than the contract promises - what can I do?
Measure it with the official breitbandmessung.de desktop tool per its protocol. If speeds repeatedly miss the contract, §57 TKG lets you reduce the monthly price proportionally or terminate without notice.
What happens to my contract when I move?
You take it along; if the provider can't deliver at the new address, you get a special termination right with one month's notice. Switching providers instead? The new one handles everything with at most one working day offline.
Do I have to rent the provider's router?
No - Routerfreiheit is law. Buying your own (the Fritz!Box is the German standard) beats ~€5/month rentals within a year or two.
What internet do I need for streaming and home office?
50-100 Mbit serves a normal household comfortably. Pay for 250+ only with many users or heavy uploads - more speed than your use case is just a bigger bill.
Can I get internet without the 2-4 week wait?
Yes - a 5G/LTE home router (Telekom, Vodafone, o2, 1&1) uses the mobile network with no technician or line activation, working as soon as the SIM arrives. 5G speeds are good where coverage is strong; watch for data caps and higher latency. It's ideal for bridging the wait, short leases, or areas with poor fixed lines. Check 5G coverage at your address first.
Does my flat come with TV through the internet contract?
Not bundled by the landlord anymore - the Nebenkostenprivileg ended 1 July 2024, so you arrange TV yourself and it's separate from your internet contract. Most people use streaming/broadcaster apps over their internet; cable, satellite, and DVB-T2 antenna are alternatives. The Rundfunkbeitrag (€18.36/month) is owed regardless.
Related guides
Keep going: these guides continue where this one ends.
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Week-by-week arrival plan: SIM and bank day one, Anmeldung week 1, health insurance and tax ID by week 3, contracts by week 4 - in the order