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When the mobile data volume is used up, it becomes annoyingly slow or expensive
Photo: Antonio Guillem / imago images / Panthermedia
"The bare figures show that we in Germany have some of the most expensive fees and prices for mobile communications and mobile Internet," said the head of the Federation of German Consumer Organizations, Klaus Müller, of the German press agency.
A price comparison by the association showed that mobile data volume in neighboring countries such as France and Italy, but especially in the eastern EU states of Estonia, Romania and Poland, is significantly cheaper than in this country.
"That leaves us dissatisfied," said Müller.
There is no understandable reason for the price difference - apart from too little competition on the German market.
"There is a great need in Germany to be even faster digitally - and then also to be cheaper," he emphasized.
To do this, there must be more competition - for example by shortening contract terms.
Politicians shouldn't listen to what the Internet and telephone companies want, but rather ask what consumers want: "They want more flexibility and low prices."
Fast and cheap mobile internet is particularly important in rural areas and in the post-Corona period.
Not only for answering messages, sending photos and navigating the car while on the move, but also for working.
"Many commercial enterprises need fast internet in order to be able to offer their products and services."
According to a comparison by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations, a gigabyte of mobile data volume in pure data tariffs cost an average of EUR 3.35 in Germany in 2019, which is the same as in Great Britain and slightly less than in Spain (EUR 3.58).
In France, on the other hand, an average of EUR 3.18 was paid, in Italy only EUR 1.65, and in Poland only EUR 0.83.
The prices are falling
In a year-on-year comparison, however, prices have fallen significantly in all of the countries considered by the consumer advocates.
In Germany, for example, you would have had to pay 6.88 euros per gigabyte of mobile data volume in 2016; in 2019 it was less than half.
According to the D21 initiative, 80 percent of those over 14 years of age in Germany used mobile internet in the past year.
According to the Federal Network Agency, consumers were still using 2.76 billion gigabytes of mobile data volume in 2019, a year later it was 3.97 billion gigabytes.
mak / dpa