At the end of 2021, fiber optic expansion in Germany was just 7.11 percent , but every household should have such a connection by 2030, and every second household by 2025 So you have to step on the gas quite a bit if the goal is to be achieved, which, however, also leads to company representatives trying to pressure consumers into signing contracts using unfair methods.
Unfair methods
The doorbell rings and a representative is standing in front of it and wants to talk about a new Internet contract with a fiber optic connection. Such door salespeople are hardly known these days (they used to sell vacuum cleaners and insurance), but they don't seem to have died out.
This is not forbidden, but it often puts consumers under an unpleasant pressure: once the representative is in the house, people talk about the great advantages of a quick connection, and the best thing to do is to sign a contract immediately. But some households don't need a fast connection at all.
Consumers reported to the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center that they were poorly informed during such discussions and pressured to sign a contract immediately. It has also been observed that “free riders” are pushing for Internet contracts that have nothing to do with the direct fiber optic expansion.
Good to know: If a contract was concluded over the phone, on the Internet or at your front door, there is always a right of cancellation of 14 days. However, this does not apply to contracts concluded in a provider's business.
What is a real fiber optic connection?
That's why it's important to know the differences:
- A real fiber optic connection goes into the apartment and is called “ Fiber to the home ” (“FTTH”, German: “Glass fiber to the home”)
- “False” connections are “ Fiber to the curb ” (“FTTC”) or “ Fiber to the building” (“FTTB”) because the “missing Meter” you don’t get full speed
So if FTTC or FTTB are offered as a fiber optic connection: Block it straight away and say goodbye politely, because they are not fast direct connections!
Do I even need such a connection?
“ I just write emails and sometimes order something on Amazon, I don’t need anything like that ” – This may be a counter-argument for many consumers, but it doesn’t last long. For example, more and more Smart TVs are being sold, and at some point you'll want to watch YouTube videos in high quality or stream a film on Netflix or Amazon Prime.
In any case, the fact is that bandwidths like 20 years ago are no longer sufficient for platforms like Facebook, and the trend towards more bandwidth for more and more platforms and services will not stop, so fiber optic connections are future-proof - ideally as soon as possible , because a later decision can result in higher costs.
When it comes to the contract question, the smartest thing to do is to first take a cheaper tariff with a lower bandwidth. Reason: An upgrade to a higher speed is almost always possible at any time, while a downgrade to a lower speed is usually only possible at the end of a contract term.
Pay attention to the small print: Some contracts appear to have a standard price for all tariffs, but it is only in the small print that you can read that the faster tariffs increase in price after a few months!
Conclusion
The safest thing to do is to get detailed advice before concluding a contract, be it from employees of a company in a store, or of course from friends and acquaintances who are tech-savvy, before you let a representative at the front door talk you into a contract Although it is expensive, it may not offer any additional speed.
Article image: Pixabay
Source:
Consumer advice center NRW
Also interesting:
The Rhineland-Palatinate consumer advice center is receiving more and more information about gas and electricity discounts that are too high.
New advance calculations should be checked carefully and complaints made if errors are made. Help with calculating the new deductions is available on the consumer advice center website. – Gas and electricity discounts calculated too high?
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