When choosing their internet connection, Germans pay more attention to price than stability. A representative survey by the comparison portal Verivox shows that 65 percent see a cheap offer as the most important reason for switching. Only just under half (52 percent) think higher speed is more important – and the same number are primarily looking for a more stable connection.

Marketing failed

It’s not about the opportunity; Theoretically, 24.3 million households have a fiber optic line in the street. Only 6.6 million households actually use their fiber optic lines. But that doesn’t mean that classic DSL tariffs are generally ahead in terms of price. In some cases the opposite is even the case, says Verivox, but the fiber optic providers do not take advantage of this advantage.

“The providers advertise primarily with high speed, sometimes also with the stability of the technology. They can also score points with good prices,” says Verivox telecommunications expert Jörg Schamberg to “Welt”. His conclusion: The Fiber optic industry misses its marketing.

Goals for fiber optic expansion

And this after the federal government has already invested more than 21 billion euros in broadband expansion. According to the Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernization (BMDS), fiber optic expansion has been going faster and faster since 2021. By June 2025, gigabit-capable FTTB/H (Fiber to the Building/Home) coverage will have more than doubled to around 42.9 percent of households. Loud According to “Handelsblatt” information, there will be around 3.2 million households by the end of 2027 become.

“The state and business are working closely together to ensure that data flows faster everywhere in the country using fiber optics and mobile communications, thereby creating the conditions for growth and prosperity,” said Federal Minister Karsten Wildberger from the CDU.

For consumers, it’s less about growth and more about money. What do you have to pay attention to when changing?

The consumer advice center warns that the need for bandwidth is constantly growing over the years. 20 years ago, a connection with 1 to 2 Mbit per second was completely sufficient, but today that is no longer the case. Films, streaming services and cloud use, among other things, drive up the need for bandwidth.

Here are a few tips that consumers should pay attention to before making the switch:

• Check your own needs and, ideally, those of the next few years: The provider usually provides an overview, either via an app or on the website. Mobile devices now have a “data consumption” function in the settings.
• Compare offers and avoid double contracts.
• Ask the provider whether it is a real fiber optic connection to the apartment (the key word is FTTH, fiber to the home).
• Pay attention to the small print – price increases are stipulated in some contracts.
• What options are there for a later change?

The consumer advice center points out that fiber optic connections are the only truly future-proof connections. A connection can also add value to real estate.