Connectivity

This page explains how internet (both mobile and fixed) works in Germany, and how to get connected.

Mobile phones

There are two major types of mobile phone contracts:

• Pre-paid contracts, where you add money to an account, which is then debited to pay for voice/data/SMS connections.
• Post-paid contracts, where you are sent a bill at the end of every month for the costs you incurred that month.

Pre-paid contracts may be cancellable monthly; post-paid contract almost always have a running time of 2 years. Since the legal reform in early 2022, after the contract running time is up, you can cancel it at any point with 1 months’ notice.

Networks and providers

There are three mobile phone networks:

• T-mobile
• Vodafone
• O2

These three companies sell various mobile phone contracts, which operate on their respective network.

Additionally, there is a large number of MVNOs (virtual mobile operators; also called “resellers”), whose SIM cards operate on one of the three mobile phone networks. These companies cater to different market niches and offer options which the big three telecoms don’t - for example, Congstar caters to “younger” customers with very flexible contracts, Lebara offers low international call rates, ay yildiz caters to the Turkish-speaking community, AldiTalk has no-frills offers, etc.

MVNOs tend to be a little cheaper than the three big network providers, but the latter offer packages including (for example) home internet and TV, which may be cheaper in aggregate. The big three network providers tend to offer “all-in-one” contracts (some free minutes, some free SMS, a moderate amount of data), whereas MVNOs tend to offer a greater variety of contracts (for example, contracts with large amounts of data but few voice minutes, or discounted rates for international calls, etc). However, there are tons of exceptions to either rule, so research all providers equally.

The quality of your mobile connection (coverage, speed) depends primarily on which network it operates on, and not the specific provider. For example, SIM cards from both AldiTalk and O2 operate on the O2 network, and will (to a first approximation - there are details like high-speed LTE access for pricier plans) have the same network quality.

All three mobile networks operate throughout Germany. Telekom is considered to have overall the best coverage, followed by Vodafone and then (with a significant distance) O2. However, the coverage quality can vary locally - for example, O2’s coverage in large urban areas is often as good as Telekom’s, although their coverage is often poor outside the larger cities.

Unfortunately, there is no good way of determining coverage a priori - it can depend on very local conditions (e.g. how close you are to the nearest mast, or what material the surrounding buildings are made of), and “coverage maps” are only of limited helpfulness. If you’re staying in Germany for longer, it may be worth getting a cheap prepaid SIM card on your preferred mobile network and using it on your daily routes for a few weeks to see how good the network coverage in your specific area is, before considering whether to commit to a longer-term contract.

In general: mobile data in Germany is, compared to other European countries, expensive (European comparison). If you’re coming from, say, the Netherlands, you may have to significantly adapt your mobile data usage habits, as you won’t be able to stream Spotify or livestream video for several hours a day. Specifically, unlimited mobile data is so expensive (the cheapest start at 40 € / month, but most are in the 50-80 € / month range) that, in practice, only business customers will use it. Note that most data plans are technically “unlimited”, but they throttle down to some very low speed after their monthly data allowance has been used up.

How to find the right SIM card / contract

First, you should determine your needs:

• How much mobile data do you need? For most people, this will be the most significant cost driver. Contracts with more than about 5 GB of data per month tend to go up in price fairly steeply, and contracts with more than about 15 GB are rare. If you need even more data, look for a provider which provides “top up” packages (i.e. your contract includes X GB per month, but you can buy additional data at a fixed cost per GB), but, either way, it will be expensive.
• Do you want to use voice calls or send SMS? While most contracts including unlimited voice calls and SMS (this is usually advertised as “Telefon flat” or “SMS flat”), some cheaper contracts do not.
• Where will you be using your phone? You can often get better coverage using a SIM card on the Telekom or Vodafone network, but these tend to be more expensive. While you should have decent coverage with any network in the larger cities, if you’ll also want to use your phone elsewhere, then it may be worth getting a SIM card on the Telekom or Vodafone network.
• Are you willing to commit to a long (24 month) contract, or would you prefer more flexibility? A shorter contract (or a prepaid contract) will likely be a bit more expensive, but offers more flexibility. Make sure to understand how to terminate your contract in time (see below).

Then, once you’ve determined your needs, you can use comparison shopping engine to search for a contract which meets your needs:

• Check24
• Verivox

This wiki page doesn’t recommend a specific contract or plan - not only because prices are constantly changing, but also because people have different needs.

For tourists

Tourists are generally looking for a prepaid SIM card they can buy with minimum effort, and which primarily provides mobile data.

While most prepaid providers could fit, a few which are commonly recommended include:

• Telekom, Vodafone and O2 prepaid contracts. These can be bought directly in the Telekom, Vodafone, and O2 telecoms shops, and many shops can even activate the card (see below). However, as explained below, make sure that a pushy salesperson doesn’t get you to sign up for something you didn’t want.
• SIM cards sold in the major supermarkets, including Aldi Talk (O2 network), Lidl Connect (Vodafone network), and Ja! Mobil (Telekom network), which are sold in Aldi, Lidl, and Rewe supermarkets, respectively. Like nearly all prepaid SIM cards, they then have to be activated via VideoIdent (see below).

Phones

Many mobile phone providers offer 2-year contracts including a phone, whose cost is amortised over the 2-year running time of the contract. Alternatively, you can buy just a SIM card and plug it into your existing phone. You can use this website to check if your phone will work with German mobile networks.

Buying SIM cards

Depending on the provider, you can buy SIM cards:

• Online (pre- and post-paid)
• From branded shops (pre- and post-paid; only the major telecom operators have these shops)
• In supermarkets, kiosks, etc (pre-paid only)

Activation

Due to a new law passed in summer 2017, all pre-paid SIM cards must be activated (and thereby linked to an owner with their personal details) before they can be used. This requires an official photo ID (ID card or passport, usually) and a proof of address. You can activate SIM cards in some branded stores, as well as at the post office (PostIdent) or via video chat (VideoIdent).

Activation is fairly straightforward for Germans and many foreigners living in Germany, but can be a hassle for tourists and nationals of certain countries (notably India and Pakistan, whose passports are not accepted). This website explains the various activation options in detail.

Roaming

Due to EU rules, most mobile contracts from other EU countries (except those that explicitly exclude it) can be used in Germany at no additional cost. Conversely, you can use your German SIM card in other EU countries. However, this roaming is limited to “short” visits abroad - the details vary from operator to operator, but if you use a foreign SIM card in Germany for an extended period of time (weeks or months) without returning to the SIM card’s home country, your contract will be terminated.

Fixed

The main ways of getting fixed (home) internet in Germany are:

• ADSL/VSDL
• Cable
• Fibre

The options available to you will strongly depend on what infrastructure is installed in your house/apartment (for example, only a small minority of houses have a fibre connection, and about half have a cable connection). While some apartments (particularly student residences) have an internet connection provided by the landlord, in most cases, the tenant is responsible for signing a contract with a service provider for an internet connection.

To see what connection options are available for your house/apartment, plug your address into Verivox or Check24. Note that the majority of home internet packages are only available on 2-year contracts. After this initial term, you can terminate the contract with a one-month notice (this was introduced in late 2021 - before that, contracts auto-renewed for 12 months).

However, it is possible to find contracts on a monthly-basis too. Just be aware that the price for flexibility can sometimes costs a little more. 1&1 has such contracts.

Also see:

Finding a good german internet provider & setting up your line on settle-in-berlin.com

Telecom shops

Both mobile and fixed internet can be ordered online, bought in telecom shops, or (for pre-paid SIM card) bought in regular stores and supermarkets. Many people have reported that the salespeople in telecoms shops can be difficult to deal with, as they are very pushy, make outlandish promises to get you to sign, and sometimes trick you into signing up for something you didn’t want. Therefore, it’s generally advisable to do your research online and buy your connections online - or, if you want to speak to someone at a telecom shop, make absolutely sure you understand what you’re signing.

Downloading video

As in most countries, downloading and uploading material (e.g. TV series, movies…) not released for free by the copyright holder is illegal in Germany. Unlike in some other countries (where this behaviour is partially tolerated), such activities are actively prosecuted in Germany. See the page on media downloading for more information.

Terminating contracts

If you have a longer-running contract, then you must take great care when terminating it. If you don’t follow the correct procedures, your contract will continue to run, and you will continue to be liable for the monthly costs you originally signed up for.

First of all, check the termination conditions of your contract carefully. As a rule, the German telecommunication acts plans for a one-month notice for termination after the end of the initial contract commitment. For example, after a 2-year contract ends, you can send in a termination notice to your provider to get out of the contract at the end of the next month.

You also have to use the correct form when cancelling your contracts. Some companies allow you to do this via their website, but most require that you send them a letter or a fax. Make sure to request a confirmation from the company that your contract has actually been cancelled - until the company has confirmed it, your contract will continue running, so don’t make the mistake of (for example) leaving the country and silently assuming your contract has been cancelled.

If you’re moving abroad, you can also cancel your contract ahead of schedule, although here you have to be doubly careful to follow all the correct procedures, or else your cancellation may be invalid, and you’d have to continue paying for your contract. Look up Sonderkündigung bei Umzug ins Ausland for your provider for the correct procedure to follow. You will very likely have to provide:

• The Abmeldung
• A proof that you’ve moved abroad (e.g. a proof of address abroad)

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