Telekom customers report slow connections: Consumer advocates react

Telekom customers report slow connections: Consumer advocates react

Telekom suddenly limits speed for a number of contract customers

Deutsche Telekom has reduced the Internet speed for a large number of contract customers, which leads to far -reaching inconvenience. This measure, which obviously leads to the throttling of data connections, represents a current problem in the German mobile phone market that ensures concern for both users and consumer protection organizations.

In particular, customers who subscribe to "Unlimited" tariffs and use a telephone SIM card in a router are affected. According to Telekom-ABB, throttling is allowed in such cases. These changes came into force on April 1st and affect users of the MagentaMobil and MagentaMobil Flex tariffs in particular. Telekom justifies this by the fact that the throttling is necessary to prevent the network from overloading, especially in mobile phone cells with a high number of users.

The erosion of network neutrality and its consequences

The Consumer Center Federal Association (VZBV) has already accused Telekom of violating the principles of network neutrality. The providers could potentially be preferred if they are willing to pay higher fees for access to the network. This discrepancy means that fewer financially strong users may fall by the wayside. The customer feedback on social networks shows the frustration over slow connections and unexpected restrictions.

Some customers report extremely slow loading times, which significantly affects the daily use of mobile data. Such experiences, such as downloading images in the format of old modems or the loss of 5G connections during the day, reinforce the discomfort among users. For many, the question of a special right of termination arises if the inconvenience should be stabilized. Lawyers recommend putting a deadline to the provider before being given notice of termination.

Europe's mobile phone market under pressure

Additional legal framework at EU level determine that mobile phone providers are entitled to carry out traffic management measures, including throttling. These measures were developed to maintain network stability, especially during unexpected network failures. The challenges that are associated with overloaded networks in times of high data consumption are known, but dealing with it remains problematic for many consumers.

The current developments show how the competition in the mobile phone sector is not only designed for price, but also for quality and accessibility. These challenges certainly require a critical examination of the business models of established providers to make the offer fair and transparent for all users.