Getting home internet in Germany (DSL, cable and fibre)

Before you start

• Your exact new address, including the floor and flat position if the building is large
• A move-in date and, ideally, a contact who can let a technician in
• A bank account for the direct debit

Documents you need

• Rental contract or proof of your new address

  Some providers ask for it if the line is not yet registered to your name.

  optional

• Passport or ID card

  Some providers check your identity when you sign up.

  optional

• IBAN for the direct debit

  required

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Find out what your address can get

   Ask the landlord or the previous tenant which connection the flat has, and look for the wall sockets described above. Then use the availability check on several providers' websites with your exact address. Results differ between providers, because each one sees its own network.

   If the building has fibre to the flat, it is usually the fastest option. If fibre is only being built in your street, ask how long it will take before you sign anything (see below).

2. 2

   Step 2: Compare offers on more than the headline price

   Before you sign, the provider must give you a short contract summary (Vertragszusammenfassung), as a document in a shop or a downloadable file online. Use it to compare:

   • speeds: fixed-line contracts state a maximum, a normally available and a minimum speed for download and upload;
   • monthly price for the whole term, including what happens after any introductory discount;
   • one-off costs: activation fee, router purchase or rental, technician visit;
   • term: up to 24 months is allowed, and every provider must also offer a contract with a term of at most 12 months.

   If you order by phone, the contract only becomes effective once you have received the summary and confirmed it in text form, for example by email.

3. 3

   Step 3: Order early and plan for the waiting time

   Order as soon as you know your move-in date and agree an activation date. On a line that already works, activation is often quick; if a technician must visit, or the line has to be switched on in the building's distribution box, it can take longer. Ask the provider for the expected date and whether someone must be at home.

   For fibre that still has to be built, the Verbraucherzentrale reports waiting times from a few weeks or months up to two years, and in individual cases more than a year after signing. Two things to know:

   • the minimum term starts on the day you sign the contract, not when the line is switched on, which the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) confirmed on 8 January 2026 (III ZR 8/25);
   • you normally do not have to pay monthly fees while the provider cannot yet deliver.

   So if you need internet now, a fibre pre-order does not help you, and a long wait can use up much of the minimum term.

4. 4

   Step 4: Bridge the gap with mobile data

   Until the line works, use your phone as a hotspot or a small mobile router with a prepaid SIM that has a large data volume. Prepaid data packages can be cancelled or left to expire without a long contract. See the mobile phone guide for how to get a SIM; you need to verify your identity.

   If you keep using a SIM from another EU country, note that roaming at home prices is meant for travel. EU rules allow your home operator to charge extra if you use its SIM abroad permanently.

5. 5

   Step 5: Connect your router (yours or the provider's)

   You may use any suitable router available on the market (Routerfreiheit, router freedom). The provider must give you the access data you need, for example by post or in its customer portal. Its responsibility ends at the passive network termination point, such as the wall socket. For fibre, the Verbraucherzentrale confirms that you can also choose the fibre modem and router yourself; providers may not force you to buy their device.

   Renting the provider's router is convenient because support knows it, but over a 24-month term buying your own can cost less. Check the router is compatible with your technology (DSL, cable or fibre).

6. 6

   Step 6: Check that you get the speed you pay for

   The Bundesnetzagentur offers a free, official measuring tool at breitbandmessung.de. For a quick check, use the browser test. To prove a shortfall, use the desktop app on a computer connected to the router by cable and follow the official measurement protocol:

   • 30 measurements within 14 days, spread over three different calendar days, ten per day;
   • at least 5 minutes between measurements, and at least 3 hours between the 5th and 6th measurement of a day.

   A significant shortfall exists if, for example, you do not reach 90% of the maximum speed at least once on two of the three days, if the normally available speed is not reached in 90% of measurements, or if the minimum speed is undercut at least once on two of the three days. You may then reduce your payment in proportion to the shortfall, or cancel without notice. The Bundesnetzagentur does not enforce payment claims for you; contact the provider, and if that fails, use the free conciliation service (Schlichtung) or seek advice.

7. 7

   Step 7: Note your cancellation date

   After the initial term, a contract continues for an indefinite period and you can cancel it at any time with one month's notice, at no extra cost. The provider must remind you before the automatic extension. Your bill must also show the end of the minimum term, the notice period and the last day your cancellation must reach the provider.

   If you switch to a new provider, let the new provider handle the cancellation and number porting for you.

DSL, cable or fibre

Your contract rights since the 2021 telecoms reform

Outages and missed appointments

Watch out

Common mistakes

• Waiting until moving day to order, and then working without internet for weeks.
• Measuring speed over Wi-Fi when trying to prove a shortfall. The official proof procedure only accepts measurements with the desktop app over a direct LAN cable connection.
• Cancelling the old contract yourself before the new one is active, which can leave a gap and cost you your number.
• Forgetting that the provider's router is rented. Return it when the contract ends, or you may be charged for it.

Tips

• Put the last cancellation date from your bill into your calendar as soon as you sign.
• Keep the contract summary. It is the reference for speed claims later.
• If you work from home, ask your employer whether they reimburse part of your internet costs.
• The broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) is separate from your internet contract and is due per household, whether or not you have internet.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Official links

In your plan

• Order internet for your homeAdd to plan

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 3 Apr 2027.