Mobile Communication Speeds Don’t Meet Contractual Agreements
Many mobile communication customers still don’t receive the maximum speeds that their provider promised them when they signed the contract. In fact, only three percent of customers reported being happy about the full contractually agreed data transmission rate on the mobile internet in the last year- a slight increase from 2.6 percent in the previous year.
However, 23.2 percent of clients received at least half of the contractually agreed estimated maximum data transmission rate across all bandwidth classes and providers when downloading- an increase from 20.1 percent in 2021. These statistics are part of the seventh annual report on broadband measurement, which was published on Wednesday by the Federal Network Agency. The report covers the period from October 2021 to September 2022.
A significant increase of valid measurements in mobile communications from 441,233 to 623,581 was recorded in the same period, but experts found that the percentage values in which the contractually agreed maximum data transmission rate was achieved were even lower in the higher bandwidth classes.
Different Results for Different Providers
Despite the bad statistics, 70.8 percent of end customers gave their providers a comparatively good grade between 1 and 3- a decrease from 75.7 percent in the previous year. However, this may be because users of mobile broadband connections tend to prioritize mobility and the available data transmission rate over achieving maximum speed.
The results were inconsistent among individual providers, which was also seen in the fixed network. In the fixed-line network, 84.4 percent of customers across all bandwidth classes and providers received at least half of the maximum data transmission rate when downloading, and 42.3 percent received the rate in full.
First-Time Inclusion of Gigabit Connections
For the first time, gigabit connections were included in the stationary area, so a methodological change was necessary. Therefore, the figures recorded here are not comparable with those of previous years. Despite this, 78.2 percent of customers were satisfied with the performance of their connection and rated it between 1 and 3, while less than eleven percent gave it a rating between 5 and 6.
Regulatory Agency’s Initiative
To help affected consumers, the regulatory agency has provided a desktop app that can be used to prove underperformance in the fixed network with the broadband measurement. According to Klaus Müller, the president of the authority, this proof can then be used to assert the consumer’s rights against their provider.
The Agency also presented key points for consultation to design a comparable procedure for mobile communications with a focus on achieving the promised speed in the future.
