Internet Contracts in Germany: Connection, Minimum Term and Cancellation Basics

Home internet in Germany is not difficult because of the technology. The confusing part is usually the contract: availability at your exact address, minimum term, cancellation, moving, installation and what happens if the speed is far below the agreed level.

Quick answer

Before you sign a consumer telecom contract, the provider must give you a clear, readable Vertragszusammenfassung with key information such as the service, prices, contract duration, renewal and cancellation conditions.

The initial term of a consumer telecom contract may not exceed 24 months, and providers must also offer a contract with an initial term of no more than 12 months. If a contract silently renews after the initial minimum term, you can then terminate it at any time with one month’s notice.

If you move and the provider cannot supply the contractually agreed service at the new residence, § 60 TKG gives consumers a special termination right with one month’s notice.

1. Check availability for the exact address before you compare prices

An offer that exists nationally may not be available in the same form at your building.

Before signing, check:

• your exact street and house number
• the connection technology available there
• the download and upload speeds in the contract information
• whether installation or a technician appointment is needed
• activation charges and monthly charges
• whether hardware is included, rented or optional

Do not compare only the advertised headline speed. The contract summary and product information should show the relevant service details.

2. Read the Vertragszusammenfassung before you agree

The Vertragszusammenfassung is one of the most useful consumer documents in telecom contracts.

Under § 54 TKG, it must include key elements such as:

• provider contact details
• essential characteristics of the service
• activation and recurring/usage-based prices where applicable
• contract duration
• renewal and cancellation conditions
• key internet-access information

The Bundesnetzagentur explains that the summary must be available before conclusion in a shop or online. If a contract is made by telephone, it becomes effective only after the provider sends the summary and the consumer then approves the contract in text form, for example by email.

3. Know the difference between Mindestlaufzeit and Kündigungsfrist

These two terms are easy to mix up.

Mindestlaufzeit is the initial period during which you are normally committed to the contract.

Kündigungsfrist is the notice period you must observe when ending the contract.

For consumer telecom contracts:

• the initial term may be no longer than 24 months
• the provider must also offer a contract with an initial term of at most 12 months
• after a silent renewal beyond the initial term, the contract can be terminated with one month’s notice

A 24-month maximum does not mean every contract has to last 24 months.

4. Online and telephone contracts may have a 14-day withdrawal right

The Bundesnetzagentur notes that certain telecom contracts concluded at a distance or outside business premises can carry a statutory 14-day Widerrufsrecht, subject to the legal conditions. Online and telephone contracts are common examples of distance contracts. A contract concluded in a shop generally does not have the same automatic statutory withdrawal right simply because you change your mind.

If you are relying on a withdrawal right in a specific case, check the current notice you received and the official rules rather than assuming every cancellation is a Widerruf.

5. Plan a provider switch early

If you want to switch provider, the Bundesnetzagentur recommends starting early and checking the notice period shown in the contract documents or bill.

For a regulated provider switch, the old and new providers must coordinate. § 59 TKG is designed to limit service interruption; in the standard provider-switch process, the service should not be interrupted for more than one working day.

If you want to keep a fixed-line number, ask the new provider about Rufnummernmitnahme as part of the switch. Number portability itself may not be charged directly to the end user.

6. Moving home does not automatically cancel the contract

A move is not always an escape from the existing minimum term.

Under § 60 TKG, if the provider offers the contractually agreed service at your new residence, it must provide the service there without changing the agreed contract duration or other contract terms. It may charge a reasonable relocation fee, but that fee may not exceed the fee for a new connection.

If the provider cannot offer the contractually agreed service at the new residence, the consumer can terminate with one month’s notice. The termination can take effect at the time of moving out or later.

This is why you should tell the provider about the move early and ask for written confirmation of what can be supplied at the new address.

7. You are free to use a suitable router of your choice

The Bundesnetzagentur explains that consumers may connect a suitable router bought on the open market. The provider must supply the necessary access data in an appropriate way.

If you use your own router, make sure it is technically suitable for the connection. The provider’s responsibility and your own setup responsibility can differ at the network termination point.

8. If the fixed-line speed is significantly below the contract, use the official measurement process

The Bundesnetzagentur provides an official Breitbandmessung Desktop-App for fixed-line internet. The measurement campaign can generate a protocol used to establish whether the connection shows a significant, continuous or regularly recurring deviation from the contractually stated internet performance.

Under § 57 TKG, proven qualifying deviations can give consumers rights to reduce the price or terminate extraordinarily.

Do not rely on one casual Wi-Fi speed test as proof. Follow the Bundesnetzagentur measurement instructions if you want to assert these rights.

9. Keep the documents that matter

Save:

• the Vertragszusammenfassung
• the product information sheet
• the order confirmation
• the activation date
• installation/technician appointments
• cancellation or move confirmations
• relevant bills
• measurement protocols if there is a performance dispute

This makes a support call much easier because you can name the exact contract date, tariff and issue.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Signing from a headline price without reading the Vertragszusammenfassung.
• Confusing a 24-month maximum with a legal requirement to choose 24 months.
• Assuming a move automatically ends the contract.
• Cancelling the old provider too early without coordinating a switch.
• Using one informal speed test as legal proof of underperformance.
• Forgetting that after the initial term, a silently renewed contract is terminable with one month’s notice.

Frequently asked questions

Can an internet provider require a 24-month contract?

A provider may offer an initial term of up to 24 months, but must also offer consumers a contract with an initial term of no more than 12 months.

What happens after my minimum term ends?

If the contract silently renews after the initial term, you can terminate it at any time with one month’s notice.

Is a telephone contract effective immediately when I say yes?

The Bundesnetzagentur explains that a telephone telecom contract becomes effective only after the provider sends the contract summary and the consumer approves the contract in text form, for example by email.

Can I cancel because I am moving?

Only in the special situation covered by § 60 TKG: if the provider cannot supply the contractually agreed service at the new residence, you can terminate with one month’s notice. If the service is available there, the provider must generally continue it without changing the contract duration or other terms.

What if my fixed-line internet is much slower than agreed?

Use the Bundesnetzagentur’s official fixed-line measurement procedure if you want to prove a qualifying deviation. A suitable measurement protocol can support rights to a price reduction or extraordinary termination under § 57 TKG.

Do I have to use the provider’s router?

No. The Bundesnetzagentur states that consumers may connect a suitable router of their own choice, and the provider must provide the necessary access data.

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