A new regulation in the form of an amendment to Germany's telecommunications law could radically change the relationship between consumers and Internet service providers.
According to the draft, users will be able to test their Internet speeds and if there is a very large discrepancy between the results and the speed promised by their ISP, they will be entitled to a discount on the account.
The amount of the discount will be proportional to the difference between the agreed internet speed and the actual one.
To determine their connection speeds, customers should use official speed measurement application Internet service provided by the Federal Network Service of Germany.
The measurement process includes 20 tests in two consecutive days, divided into ten tests each day.
This method ensures that any speed deviations are repetitive and / or continuous and are not the result of an instantaneous problem.
If the download and upload speeds from the Internet are below 90% of the speed promised by the ISP, the customer is entitled to a discount.
According to the German authorities protectionof consumers, deviations from contractual agreements affect over 50% of internet users in the country.
So the new law will provide a balancing act and an incentive for ISPs to live up to their promises and deliver a more consistent quality of service.
Currently almost everywhere, consumers pay a fixed price regardless of the speed they receive.
This approach often unfairly compares consumers to others paying the same amount for the same packet services, but they happen to have better speeds.
The new law will enter into force in December 2021.
